The spectrum for three-times repeated blocks in an \(S_ 3(2,3,v)\) (Q1110515)

An \(S_ 3(2,3,v)\) is a design (V,B) such that \(| V| =v\) and B is a collection of 3-subsets of V, called blocks, such that each 2-subset of V is contained in exactly three blocks. If B contains three blocks \(b_ 1\), \(b_ 2\) and \(b_ 3\) satisfying \(b_ 1=b_ 2=b_ 3\), \(b_ 1\) is said to be a three-times repeating block. Let \(R(v)=\{k:\) there exists an \(S_ 3(2,3,v)\) having exactly k different three-times repeating blocks\(\}\). The authors determine R(v) for all values of v. It is known that an \(S_ 3(2,3,v)\) exists if and only if v is odd. The authors easily prove that \(R(v)=J(v)\) whenever \(v\equiv 1(mod 6)\) or \(v\equiv 3(mod 6)\), where \(J(v)=\{k:\) there exists a pair of Steiner triple systems of order v having precisely k triples in common\(\}\). Let \(s_ v=\frac{(v(v-1)-20)}{6},\quad v\equiv 5(mod 6),\) and \(I_ v'=\{0,1,2,...,s_ v-3,s_ v\}\). Most of the paper is devoted to showing that when \(v\equiv 5(mod 6),\) \(R(v)=I_ v'\) for \(v\geq 17\), \(R(11)=I'_{11}\setminus \{11\}\) and \(R(5)=\{0\}\).