On invariance and randomization in factorial designs with applications to D-optimal main effect designs of the symmetrical factorial (Q1101169)

Under the setting of the columnwise orthogonal polynomial model in the context of the general factorial it is shown that (i) the determinant of the information matrix of a design relative to an admissible vector of effects is invariant under a permutation of levels; (ii) the unbiased estimation of a linear function of an admissible vector of effects can be obtained under equal probability randomization. These results extend works on invariance and randomization carried out under the more restrictive assumption of the orthonormal polynomial model. Moreover, the problem of the construction of D-optimal main effect designs in the symmetrical factorial is reduced to a study of a special class of (0,1)-matrices using the Helmert matrix model. Using this class of (0,1)-matrices and the determinant invariance result, some classes of D-optimal main effect designs of the \(s^ 2\) and \(s^ 3\) factorial, respectively, are presented.