New families of balanced incomplete block designs with block size \(q+1\) (Q1193975)

BIB designs arising from \(2-(q^ 3+1,q+1,1)\)-designs and called `` unitals'', where \(q\) stands for a prime power, are considered. A square matrix \(H=(h_{ij})\) over the finite field \(GF(q^ 2)\) is Hermitian if \(h^ a_{ij}=h_{ji}\) for all \(i\), \(j\). In particular \(h_{ii}\in GF(q)\). Given a Desarguesian projective plane \(PG(2,q^ 2)\), its points are denoted by a column vector \(u=(u_ 1,u_ 2,u_ 3)'\), \(A=(a_{ij})\) being any matrix denoted by \(A^{(q)}=(a^ q_{ij})\). The set of points \(x\in PG(2,q^ 2)\) satisfying \(x^ THa^{(q)}=0\), where \(H\) is a nonsingular \(3\times 3\) Hermitian matrix, is called a nondegenerate Hermitian unital and it contains \(q^ 3+1\) points of the plane. The unital \(x^ THx^{(q)}=0\) is denoted by \(\{H\}\). Starting out with these unitals, other families of BIBDs have been obtained by \textit{B. C. Kestenband} and \textit{H. P. Young} [J. Combinat. Theory, Ser. A 24, 211-234 (1978; Zbl 0379.05007)]. In this paper, several new families of BIBDs are obtained. First, \(2- (q^ 2,q+1,q)\) designs are constructed for any ``q'' by making use of certain properties of Hermitian unitals. Then making use of a number of composition theorems that were first introduced in Kestenband and Young's paper cited above other BIBD families are derived.