Resolvable BIBDs with block size 7 and index 6 (Q1841893)

A balanced incomplete block design (BIBD) is said to be resolvable if its collection of blocks can be partitioned into resolution classes each of which spans the set of points. A resolvable \((v,k,\lambda)\)-BIBD is denoted by \((v,k,\lambda)\)-RBIBD. \textit{M. Greig} [Recursive constructions of balanced incomplete block designs with block size of 7, 8 or 9, preprint] has constructed \((v,7,1)\)-RBIBDs for all integers \(v \equiv 7 \bmod 42\) with \(v \geq 294469\). \textit{S. Furino, Y. Miao} and \textit{J. Yin} [Frames and resolvable designs. Uses, constructions, and existence (CRC Press Inc. Boca Raton) (1996; Zbl 0855.62061)] have constructed \((v,7,6)\)-RBIBDs for all integers \(v \equiv 0 \bmod 7\) with \(v \geq 33943\). One major purpose of this paper is to construct new RBIBDs with \(k=7\) and \(\lambda = 6\). The main result is the following: a \((v,7,6)\)-RBIBD exists if and only if \(v \equiv 0 \bmod 7\) with the exception of \(v=14\) and possible exceptions of \[ v \in \{84, 119,126,133,175,182,189,210,231, 238,259,266,287,413, 420,427,434,462\}. \] To establish this result the authors construct several small frames, resolvable group divisible designs (RGDDs), near resolvable designs (NRDs) and RBIBDs by the method of differences. A construction of \textit{J. Yin} and \textit{Y. Miao} [Almost resolvable BIBDs with block size 5 or 6, Ars Comb. 35, 303-313 (1993; Zbl 0796.05007)] for NRDs is generalised, and recursive constructions, using NRDs, frames and RGDDs as ingredients, are used to produce larger \((v,7,6)\)-RBIBDs. As a consequence a number of new results on NRDs, frames and RGDDs are established.