Skip to main content
Log in

Direct constructions of large sets of Kirkman triple systems

  • Published:
Designs, Codes and Cryptography Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Research on the existence of large sets of Kirkman triple systems (LKTS) extends from the mid-eighteen hundreds to the present. In this paper we review known direct approaches of constructing LKTS and present new ideas of direct constructions. We finally prove the existence of an LKTS(v) where \(v \in \{69,141,165,213,285,309,333\}\). Combining recursive constructions yields several new infinite classes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chang Y., Ge G.: Some new large sets of KTS\((v)\). Ars Comb. 51, 306–312 (1999).

  2. Chang Y., Zhou J.: Large sets of Kirkman triple systems and related designs. J. Comb. Theory (A) 120, 649–670 (2013).

  3. Denniston R.H.F.: Sylvester’s problem of the 15 schoolgirls. Discret. Math. 9, 229–233 (1974).

  4. Denniston R.H.F.: Further cases of double resolvability. J. Comb. Theory (A) 26, 298–303 (1979).

  5. Denniston R.H.F.: Four double resolvable complete three-designs. Ars Comb. 7, 265–272 (1979).

  6. Ge G.: More large sets of KTS\((v)\). J. Comb. Math. Comb. Comput. 49, 211–214 (2004).

  7. Kirkman T.P.: Note on an unanswered prize question. Camb. Dublin Math. J. 5, 255–262 (1850).

  8. Lu J.: On large sets of disjoint Steiner triple systems, I–III. J. Comb. Theory (A) 34, 140–182 (1983).

  9. Lu J.: On large sets of disjoint Steiner triple systems, IV–V. J. Comb. Theory (A) 37, 136–192 (1984).

  10. Ray-Chaudhuri D.K., Wilson R.M.: Solution of Kirkman’s schoolgirl problem. Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 19, 187–204 (1971).

  11. Schreiber S.: Covering all triples on \(n\) marks by disjoint Steiner systems. J. Comb. Theory (A) 15, 347–350 (1973).

  12. Schreiber S., quoted by Hanani H.: Resolvable designs. In: Colloquio Internazionale Sulle Teorie Combinatorie (Atti dei Convegni Lincei), Rome, Tomo II, vol. 17, pp. 249–252 (1976).

  13. Teirlinck L.: A completion of Lu’s determination of the spectrum for large sets of disjoint Steiner triple systems. J. Comb. Theory (A) 57, 302–305 (1991).

  14. Wilson R.M.: Some partitions of all triples into Steiner triple systems. In: Lecture Notes in Mathematics, vol. 411, pp. 267–277 (1974).

  15. Wang C., Shi C.: Large sets of Kirkman triple systems with order \(q^n+2\). arXiv:1307.3019 (2013).

  16. Zhang S., Zhu L.: Transitive resolvable idempotent symmetric quasigroups and large sets of Kirkman triple systems. Discret. Math. 247, 215–223 (2002).

  17. Zhou J., Chang Y.: New results on large sets of Kirkman triple systems. Des. Codes Cryptogr. 55, 1–7 (2010).

Download references

Acknowledgments

Supported by NSFC Grants 11271042, 11431003 and 11571034.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Junling Zhou.

Additional information

Communicated by L. Teirlinck.

Appendix

Appendix

We list all the base blocks of \((q-1,3,\{2,3\},2)\) disjoint difference family over \(\mathbb {Z}_{q-1}\) relative to \(H=\{0,{q-1\over 3},{2(q-1)\over 3}\}\) in Lemma 3.4. Note that in each base block set the three pairs \(\{x_i,y_i\}\) \((i=1,2,3)\) are listed in order; they give rise to three blocks \(\{\infty _1,g^{x_1},g^{y_1}\},\) \(\{\infty _2,g^{x_2},g^{y_2}\}\) and \(\{0,g^{x_3},g^{y_3}\}\) as in Theorem 3.2.

\((1)\ q=67, g=2\)

    

   {13,42}

{20,33}

{39,38}

  

   {46,36,6}

{1,24,32}

{0,2,54}

{3,16,62}

{40,12,8}

   {19,10,58}

{41,60,18}

{5,52,7}

{17,28,22}

{15,64,48}

   {51,43,57}

{25,14,63}

{31,49,34}

{59,30,35}

{9,29,50}

   {23,53,27}

{65,11,26}

{4,61,45}

{55,21,56}

{44,47,37}

\((2)\ q=139, g= 2\)

    

   {92,45}

{27,62}

{136,137}

  

   {1,116,20}

{74,134,72}

{41,102,120}

{0,64,90}

{3,6,104}

   {2,30,124}

{86,34,28}

{76,100,49}

{4,129,130}

{42,52,56}

   {50,88,80}

{82,32,10}

{87,128,58}

{61,40,8}

{51,60,114}

   {44,78,63}

{77,66,46}

{94,12,133}

{84,99,48}

{107,118,13}

   {127,59,18}

{5,101,96}

{126,55,119}

{122,79,39}

{108,33,71}

   {57,9,112}

{105,24,69}

{123,113,110}

{135,31,15}

{37,25,70}

   {117,35,11}

{21,109,81}

{98,93,17}

{95,121,22}

{115,106,29}

   {16,23,131}

{91,26,111}

{53,36,125}

{43,47,68}

{83,85,14}

   {97,54,103}

{65,38,7}

{132,19,73}

{89,75,67}

 

\((3)\ q=163, g= 2\)

    

   {144,81}

{139,156}

{113,112}

  

   {101,152,64}

{15,106,132}

{1,62,54}

{36,98,122}

{73,4,46}

   {16,72,23}

{0,28,22}

{3,130,90}

{103,74,84}

{51,18,76}

   {116,31,44}

{47,88,42}

{17,94,60}

{125,146,108}

{2,52,134}

   {30,69,66}

{12,25,80}

{48,135,68}

{57,8,26}

{75,34,32}

   {41,148,70}

{102,118,114}

{141,10,24}

{40,104,136}

{58,160,21}

   {117,14,124}

{126,147,82}

{142,50,133}

{6,120,129}

{100,151,65}

   {110,39,121}

{158,53,93}

{38,19,11}

{45,7,154}

{89,92,91}

   {49,105,137}

{55,77,67}

{5,161,97}

{61,150,35}

{95,145,109}

   {9,56,119}

{87,111,83}

{43,143,85}

{149,131,71}

{33,79,99}

   {13,29,86}

{27,155,96}

{153,123,128}

{107,59,140}

{127,37,138}

   {115,159,20}

{78,157,63}

   

\((4)\ q=211, g = 2\)

    

   {47,68}

{178,19}

{0,43}

  

   {1,84,131}

{137,59,159}

{129,141,115}

{85,161,181}

{207,83,167}

   {163,21,5}

{81,9,209}

{199,169,77}

{11,75,192}

{201,89,104}

   {55,6,91}

{86,205,187}

{118,101,39}

{133,175,4}

{183,79,148}

   {93,190,149}

{41,13,40}

{97,184,121}

{135,30,193}

{3,144,165}

   {171,111,166}

{180,195,51}

{8,157,189}

{26,7,109}

{200,61,17}

   {197,203,138}

{168,73,123}

{18,185,29}

{160,173,57}

{146,69,143}

   {99,76,53}

{80,15,49}

{66,65,103}

{33,31,90}

{155,60,151}

   {87,177,136}

{125,117,72}

{139,62,100}

{88,120,107}

{44,179,22}

   {162,196,95}

{194,122,71}

{54,198,63}

{134,124,191}

{164,127,110}

   {14,113,58}

{154,119,126}

{116,147,36}

{46,130,37}

{188,67,78}

   {140,48,24}

{2,176,105}

{142,64,128}

{172,10,35}

{174,114,25}

   {145,112,82}

{182,208,94}

{45,38,50}

{56,98,106}

{153,186,28}

   {52,158,27}

{132,92,34}

{206,42,150}

{12,204,202}

{32,16,152}

   {156,74,70}

{170,102,108}

{23,20,96}

  

\((5)\ q = 283, g = 17\)

    

   {208,93}

{164,203}

{0,245}

  

   {39,162,124}

{22,20,66}

{152,264,46}

{44,256,34}

{2,148,80}

   {232,24,116}

{86,56,236}

{238,212,216}

{156,132,260}

{55,122,180}

   {247,114,100}

{281,144,194}

{26,112,49}

{98,92,253}

{158,3,240}

   {121,8,228}

{160,135,214}

{41,74,184}

{133,52,68}

{99,48,6}

   {198,72,217}

{128,129,262}

{134,233,230}

{16,136,145}

{36,278,127}

   {150,28,95}

{119,202,50}

{237,196,252}

{268,267,76}

{276,258,7}

   {27,186,102}

{130,185,42}

{105,280,30}

{45,88,96}

{218,60,177}

   {192,275,54}

{10,118,83}

{154,97,120}

{210,174,101}

{117,246,234}

   {40,140,235}

{250,151,170}

{4,29,32}

{204,138,241}

{200,193,58}

   {274,221,106}

{224,176,63}

{242,195,222}

{178,109,126}

{272,108,115}

   {70,159,168}

{248,172,77}

{137,18,90}

{38,65,91}

{265,183,12}

   {78,89,179}

{1,94,273}

{111,167,188}

{243,197,182}

{226,21,107}

   {189,110,9}

{81,146,181}

{190,223,207}

{147,244,19}

{14,57,191}

   {79,249,220}

{261,266,227}

{199,270,259}

{53,213,142}

{84,169,71}

   {123,5,64}

{205,209,254}

{166,263,271}

{131,103,82}

{255,23,104}

   {171,31,62}

{269,211,206}

{165,59,143}

{149,201,69}

{187,173,15}

   {239,175,219}

{139,215,85}

{47,251,35}

{229,61,157}

{25,113,161}

   {257,67,141}

{73,43,75}

{277,13,37}

{11,51,155}

{231,163,225}

   {153,33,279}

{87,125,17}

   

\((6)\ q=307, g= 43\)

    

   {2,293}

{130,187}

{0,99}

  

   {57,302,227}

{29,185,93}

{109,229,199}

{101,247,23}

{111,207,275}

   {285,289,145}

{33,233,201}

{245,303,9}

{49,179,231}

{63,163,135}

   {79,167,13}

{197,118,291}

{141,133,232}

{183,263,234}

{297,223,212}

   {158,21,97}

{87,38,77}

{283,140,37}

{98,251,209}

{261,279,82}

   {86,31,5}

{121,34,301}

{88,53,47}

{78,15,149}

{161,3,124}

   {193,155,252}

{173,123,170}

{127,71,138}

{151,154,267}

{146,219,265}

   {139,258,225}

{137,191,32}

{228,85,269}

{96,39,83}

{162,157,177}

   {25,129,160}

{134,215,105}

{119,42,117}

{1,260,259}

{125,66,299}

   {171,59,248}

{230,27,235}

{277,270,55}

{81,36,45}

{100,281,295}

   {11,51,210}

{54,107,221}

{165,189,164}

{273,148,95}

{236,91,113}

   {7,69,244}

{253,65,102}

{271,237,136}

{142,257,52}

{89,73,22}

   {48,175,67}

{40,276,181}

{64,206,241}

{116,305,240}

{242,224,75}

   {300,103,20}

{255,80,166}

{195,214,174}

{122,17,194}

{72,115,18}

   {30,43,216}

{169,256,46}

{220,203,108}

{61,150,126}

{296,294,287}

   {156,249,272}

{204,292,19}

{6,284,143}

{288,205,60}

{190,213,298}

   {24,262,217}

{268,222,153}

{226,188,243}

{198,178,26}

{304,282,211}

   {84,168,147}

{186,202,159}

{114,4,35}

{56,120,112}

{239,90,264}

   {106,12,92}

{290,278,76}

{28,62,176}

{44,104,94}

{200,50,196}

   {68,74,274}

{266,218,144}

{184,8,152}

{110,58,246}

{286,250,10}

   {172,128,254}

{70,208,132}

{41,192,14}

{180,131,238}

{182,16,280}

\((7)\ q=331, g= 98\)

    

   {236,93}

{251,288}

{0,7}

  

   {187,264,135}

{45,77,27}

{111,241,141}

{23,67,149}

{231,51,129}

   {271,101,313}

{155,31,47}

{131,37,179}

{121,295,55}

{83,279,151}

   {87,49,171}

{221,53,132}

{85,73,250}

{180,325,147}

{245,113,166}

   {19,273,280}

{282,61,277}

{21,281,144}

{239,217,134}

{314,215,143}

   {298,243,59}

{44,311,265}

{99,323,274}

{152,123,181}

{229,324,249}

   {124,63,3}

{58,233,97}

{283,122,145}

{315,139,66}

{158,205,259}

   {247,28,161}

{276,317,75}

{300,57,197}

{240,91,35}

{301,307,242}

   {95,208,207}

{103,204,41}

{163,329,316}

{299,9,254}

{89,176,303}

   {11,290,267}

{118,211,29}

{185,81,38}

{189,26,165}

{159,64,255}

   {326,71,169}

{194,257,177}

{69,36,133}

{138,153,117}

{125,297,270}

   {65,190,209}

{275,154,261}

{305,18,213}

{291,6,287}

{15,62,43}

   {237,235,294}

{14,319,309}

{302,327,293}

{13,106,223}

{191,48,183}

   {193,234,167}

{150,252,137}

{212,306,173}

{184,5,146}

{50,192,107}

   {246,198,127}

{109,214,320}

{272,199,188}

{94,115,78}

{170,296,269}

   {90,258,289}

{25,162,24}

{100,17,68}

{16,206,33}

{105,232,102}

   {200,218,253}

{39,70,266}

{60,82,321}

{92,203,72}

{285,116,172}

   {195,140,260}

{202,278,263}

{108,322,175}

{2,225,228}

{201,30,318}

   {12,1,182}

{4,119,216}

{142,219,210}

{76,308,157}

{156,104,227}

   {268,74,79}

{164,120,8}

{286,80,22}

{20,84,34}

{244,148,86}

   {238,130,328}

{96,224,248}

{98,220,128}

{112,226,186}

{196,256,284}

   {304,10,160}

{168,178,174}

{46,222,230}

{88,42,54}

{56,136,110}

   {32,262,114}

{292,40,126}

{312,310,52}

  

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zheng, H., Chang, Y. & Zhou, J. Direct constructions of large sets of Kirkman triple systems. Des. Codes Cryptogr. 83, 23–32 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10623-016-0197-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10623-016-0197-4

Keywords

Mathematics Subject Classification

Navigation