Finite Laguerre near-planes of odd order admitting Desarguesian derivations (Q1568794)

A (finite) transversal design \(TD(t,k,v)\) is a triple \((S,\beta, \gamma)\), where \(S\) is a set of \(kv\) points, \(\beta\) is a collection of \(k\)-subsets of \(S\), called blocks, and \(\gamma\) is a partition of \(S\) into \(v\)-subsets, called transversals, such that every block meets every transversal in exactly one point and such that any \(t\) points in \(t\) distinct transversals are contained in exactly one block. There is a well-known connection between \(TD (t,k,v)\) and orthogonal arrays \(OA(t,k,v)\). A \(TD(2,k,k)\) is an affine plane of order \(k\) with a distinguished parallel class. A \(TD(3,k+1,k)\) is called a Laguerre plane of order \(k\). The author calls a \(TD(3,k,k)\) a Laguerre near-plane of order \(k\). He studies embeddings of \(TD(3,k,k)\) into \(TD(3,k+1,k)\). In particular, he proves that every \(TD(3,k,k)\) with \(k\) odd, \(k\geq 7\), having at least on derived \(TD(2,k-1,k)\) that can be extended to a Desarguesian affine plane, can be uniquely extended to the Miquelian Laguerre plane of order \(k\). He also proves that any \(TD(3,k,k)\) with \(k\leq 7\), \(k\neq 4\), can be uniquely extended to the Miquelian Laguerre plane of order \(k\).