A characterization of designs related to the Witt system S(5,8,24) (Q1057274)

Starting from the unique Steiner system S(5,8,24), one obtains by removing one, two, or three points and the blocks containing (resp. not containing) them designs with the following parameters: 1) 4-(23,7,1), 2) 4-(23,8,4), 3) 3-(22,6,1), 4) 3-(22,7,4), 5) 3-(22,8,12), 6) 2-(21,5,1), 7) 2-(21,6,4), 8) 2-(21,7,12), 9) 2-(21,8,28). The Steiner system S(5,8,24), as well as the systems No.1, 3 are consecutive extensions of the unique projective plane of order 4 (No.6). They were all constructed by Witt in 1938, who also proved their uniqueness. The designs No.4, 7, 8 are quasi-symmetric, and it was proved recently by the author that up to isomorphism these are the only quasi-symmetric designs with these parameters. Using the classification of certain binary self-dual codes, and especially the uniqueness of the Golay codes, we prove in this paper that the remaining three designs No.2, 5, 9 are the unique designs with these parameters and such that any two blocks intersect in an even number of points.