Bruck-Ryser abstract theorem and symmetric designs (Q1113911)

It is well known that for the existence of a symmetric (v,k,\(\lambda)\)- design two conditions must be satisfied, namely \((i)\quad \lambda (v- 1)=k(k-1)\) or \(k^ 2-v\lambda =n,\) where \(n=k-\lambda,\) and (ii) the Bruck-Ryser-Chowla theorem (BRC-theorem): if v is even, then n is a square and if v is odd, then the diophantine equation \(nX^ 2+\lambda (- 1)^{(v-1)/2}Y^ 2=Z^ 2\) has a non-trivial solution in integers. From the first condition it follows that for a symmetric (v,k,\(\lambda)\)- design the condition \((v,k,\lambda)=1\) is equivalent to \((v,n)=1\). Using Ott's Bruck-Ryser abstract theorem concerning lattices of an R-module the paper obtains a new proof of the BRC theorem for symmetric (v,k,\(\lambda)\)-designs with \((v,k,\lambda)=1\). In addition a result is presented on symmetric (v,k,\(\lambda)\)-designs via the use of p-curves, which extends an earlier result of Ott in the case of a finite projective plane.