On the aberrations of mixed level orthogonal arrays with removed runs (Q2423173)

In several experimental situations it is hard to fix the sample size a priori. E.g. budget constraints or time limitations may occur, thus leading to an incomplete design. While orthogonal arrays (OAs) with added runs are well studied, less has been done in the case of OAs with removed runs. This paper is a contribution to fill this gap. After a brief summary of basic definitions (counting function, generalized word-length-pattern (GWLP), generalized minimum aberration (GMA) criterion), the authors introduce some formulae to decompose the GWLP of a fractional design. In the case of the deletion of one single point they provide a methodology to find the best sub-fraction according to the GMA criterion. In the two-level case they present a recursive formula. They use such formulae to analyze several examples of OAs with 1, 2 or 3 removed runs.