Holey Schr\"oder Designs of Type $\bf 3^n u^1$

Abstract

A holey Schr\"oder design of type $h_1^{n_1}h_4^{n_2}\cdots h^{n_k}_k$ (HSD$(h_1^{n_1}h_4^{n_2}\cdots h^{n_k}_k))$ is equivalent to a frame idempotent Schr\"oder quasigroup (FISQ$(h_1^{n_1}h_4^{n_2}\cdots h^{n_k}_k))$ of order $n$ with $n_i$ missing subquasigroups (holes) of order $h_i, 1 \le i \le k$, which are disjoint and spanning (i.e., $\sum_{1\le i \le k}n_ih_i = n$). The existence of HSD$(h^nu^1)$ for $h=1, 2, 4$ has been known. In this paper, we consider the existence of HSD$(3^nu^1)$ and show that for $0\le u \le 15$, an HSD$(3^nu^1)$ exists if and only if $n(n + 2u -1) \equiv 0~(mod~4)$, $n\ge 4$ and $n\ge 1+2u/3$. For $0 \le u \le n$, an HSD$(3^nu^1)$ exists if and only if $n(n + 2u -1) \equiv 0~(mod~4)$ and $n \ge 4$, with possible exceptions of $n = 29, 43$. We have also found six new HSDs of type $(4^nu^1)$.