On group-divisible designs with block size four and group-type \(6^{u} m^{1}\). (Q1428527)

The basic necessary conditions for a 4-GDD of type \(6^u m^1\) to exist, namely that \(u \geq 4\), \(m \equiv 0 \pmod{3}\), and \(0 \leq u \leq 3u-3\), are shown to be sufficient except when \((u,m) = (4,0)\) and possibly when \((u,m) \in \{\)(7,\,15), (11,\,21), (11,\,24), (11,\,27), (13,\,27), (13,\,33), (17,\,39), (17,\,42), (19,\,45), (19,\,48), (19,\,51), (23,\,60), (23,\,63)\(\}\). This result is used to complete the determination of existence of incomplete nearly Kirkman triple systems in which the order of the system and the order of the hole differ by a multiple of 12.