Menu
Let \(V\) be a finite set of \(v\) elements. A covering of the pairs of \(V\) by \(k\)-subsets is a family \(F\) of \(k\)-subsets of \(V\), called blocks, such that every pair in \(V\) occurs in at least one member of \(F\). For fixed \(v\), and \(k\), the covering problem is to determine the number of blocks of any minimum (as opposed to minimal) covering. Denote the number of blocks in any such minimum covering by \(C(2,k,v)\). Let \(B(2,5,v) = \lceil v\lceil{(v-1)/4}\rceil/{5}\rceil\). In this paper, improved results for \(C(2,5,v)\) are provided for the case \(v \equiv 1\) \(\quad\) or \(\quad\) \(2 \;(mod\;{4})\).\(\quad\) For \(\quad\) \(v \equiv 2\; (mod\;{4})\), \(\quad\) it \(\quad\) is \(\quad\) shown \(\quad\) that \(C(2,5,270) = B(2,5,270)\) and \(C(2,5,274) = B(2,5,274)\), establishing the fact that if \(v \geq 6\) and \(v \equiv 2\;mod\;4\), then \(C(2,5,v) = B(2,5,v)\). In addition, it is shown that if \(v \equiv 13\;(mod\;{20})\), then \(C(2,5,v) = B(2,5,v)\) for all but \(15\) possible exceptions, and if \(v \equiv 17\;(mod\;{20})\), then \(C(2,5,v) = B(2,5,v)\) for all but \(17\) possible exceptions.