Compatibly ordered-OSTS of order \(n\) and compatibly ordered-OGDD of type \(h^n\) for \(n=6k+1\) (Q2484372)

A cyclically ordered \(3\)-subset \((x,y,z)\) is defined to be the set of ordered pairs \(\{(x,y),(y,z),(z,x)\}\). A compatibly ordered orthogonal group divisible design (or COGDD) \((X, {\mathcal G}, {\mathcal A}, {\mathcal B})\) is a set \(X\) and a partition \({\mathcal G}\) of \(X\) into groups, and two sets \({\mathcal A}\) and \({\mathcal B}\) of cyclically ordered \(3\)-subsets (or blocks) of \(X\), so that \((X, {\mathcal G}, {\mathcal C}, {\mathcal D})\) is an orthogonal group divisible design, and if \((a,b)\) appears in a block of \({\mathcal A}\), then \((a,b)\) also appears in a block of \({\mathcal B}\), where \({\mathcal C} = \{\{x,y,z\}:(x,y,z) \in {\mathcal A}\}\) and \({\mathcal D} = \{\{x,y,z\}:(x,y,z) \in {\mathcal B}\}\). A compatibly ordered orthogonal Steiner triple system (or COSTS) of order \(n\) can be viewed as a COGDD of type \(1^n\) (that is, on \(n\) groups of size \(1\)). Using a variety of recursive and direct constructions, the author shows that for \(n = 6k+1\) there exists: (i) a COSTS\((n)\); (ii) a COGDD of type \(2^n\); and (iii) a COGDD of type \((gv)^n\) for \(g = 1\) or \(2\) and \(v \in B (P_4 \setminus \{5\})\), where \(B(P_4)\) denotes the PBD-closure of \(P_4\) = \(\{q\): \(q\) is a prime power and \(q \geq 4\}\). In conclusion, the author states that there does not exist a COST\((n)\) for \(n = 3\), \(9\) and \(15\), and that the determination of the spectrum of COST\((n)\) for \(n = 6k+3 \) is an open problem.