Large sets of Kirkman triple systems and related designs

Abstract: The problem of the existence of large sets of Kirkman triple systems (LKTS) is one of the most celebrated open problems in design theory. Only a few sparsely distributed infinite classes have been determined, although LKTS have been investigated by many authors. The purpose of this paper is to survey constructions and results on LKTS and related designs. A systematic account of this work is provided. Most of the known constructions are unified and generalized; the approaches to LKTS are enriched; a couple of new constructions for related designs are also displayed. In particular, a new existence class of LKTS is demonstrated and some new results of overlarge sets of Kirkman triple systems are also produced. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]