Existence of incomplete transversal designs with block size five and any index \(\lambda\) (Q676717)

The authors consider incomplete transversal designs with block size five and index \(\lambda\) and show that the necessary condition \(v\geq 4u\) for the existence of a \(\text{TD}(5,\lambda;v)-\text{TD}(5,\lambda;u)\) is also sufficient, with few exceptions in the case of index one. In particular, they construct several new such designs for \(\lambda=1\). They provide recursive constructions for incomplete transversal designs with any index and many ad hoc constructions. The paper also contains direct constructions which yield new incomplete TDs with block sizes six and seven. References to previously known results, as well as to related topics, are accurate.