Indecomposable S_ 6(2,3,v)'s

Let \(S_{\lambda}(2,3,v)\) denote the design (V,B), where V is a v-set and B is a collection of 3-subsets of V, called blocks or triples, such that each 2-subset of V is contained in exactly \(\lambda\) blocks. For \(\lambda =1\) we have a Steiner triple system (STS). It is well-known that an \(S_ 1(2,3,v)\) exists if and only if \(v=1\) or 3(mod 6), and an \(S_ 6(2,3,v)\) exists for all \(v\geq 3\). An \(S_{\lambda}(2,3,v)\) is said to be simple if it has no repeated blocks. A maximum packing of triples of order v, MPT(v), is a pair (X,C), where X is a v-set and C is a collection of 3-subsets of X such that (i) each 2- subset of X is contained in at most one triple, (ii) no triples can be adjoined to C without violating (i), and (iii) if D is any collection of 3-subsets satisfying (i) and (ii), then \(| C| \geq | D|.\) An \(S_{\lambda}(2,3,v(V,B)\) is said to be decomposable if it can be written as the union of two smaller designs \(S_{\lambda_ 1}(2,3,v)(V,B_ 1)\) and \(S_{\lambda_ 2}(2,3,v)(V,B_ 2)\), with \(B=B_ 1\cup B_ 2\) and \(1\leq \lambda_ 1\), \(\lambda_ 2<\lambda\). Otherwise it is said to be indecomposable. An \(S_{\lambda}(2,3,v)\) is MPT-free if its set of triples contains no MPT(v). The existence of indecomposable \(S_{\lambda}(2,3,v)'s\) has been shown by E. S. Kramer for \(\lambda =2,3\), and by C. J. Colbourn and A. Rosa for \(\lambda =4\). Beyond this, little is known. Indecomposable triple systems with repeated blocks exist for all \(\lambda\) odd, as a consequence of the characterization of neighbourhood graphs by C. J. Colbourn. In this paper the existence of an indecomposable \(S_ 6(2,3,v)\) is proved for all \(v\geq 8\). These designs have no repeated blocks for all \(v\geq 17\) and \(v=8,14\). In Section 4 they have examined the problem, presented by C. J. Colbourn et al., of the existence of MPT-free \(S_ 6(2,3,v)'s\). The existence of MPT-free \(S_ 6(2,3,v)\) for all \(v\geq 9\) and \(v=7\), has been proved. These designs have no repeated blocks for all \(v\geq 23\) and \(v=17,19,21\).

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