A-optimal incomplete block designs with unequal block sizes for comparing test treatments with a control (Q809518)

This paper considers designs with unequal block sizes for comparing several test treatments with a control. Under the assumption of homoscedasticity, these designs are studied with respect to the A- optimality criterion. A new class of designs is defined, namely the balanced treatment incomplete unequal block (BTIUB) designs, which can be regarded as an extension of the balanced treatment incomplete block designs to the case of blocks of unequal sizes. Some conditions for the existence and construction of BTIUB designs are given. An algorithm for the construction of A-optimal BTIUB designs has been developed and applied to the case of two block sizes. Tables of some A-optimal BTIUB designs have also been given.