We discuss difference sets (DS) and supplementary difference sets (SDS) over rings. We survey some constructions of SDS over Galois rings where there are no short orbits. From there, we move to constructions involving short orbits, yielding new infinite families of SDS over \(\text{GF}(p) \times \text{GF}(q)\), \(p\), \(q\) both prime powers.Many of these families have \(\lambda = 1\). We also present new balanced incomplete block designs and pairwise balanced designs arising from the constructions given here.

Using a blend of Drake’s and Saha’s techniques, we construct a \(\text{BTD}(n^2/4; (n^2 + n)/2; 2n – 4, 3, 2n + 2; n; 8)\) whenever \(n\) is a power of \(2\), as well as some new symmetric \(\text{BTDs}\).It is known that the necessary condition \(v \equiv 1 \pmod{2}\) is sufficient for the existence of simple \(\text{BIBD}(v, 3, 3)\).In the second part of this paper, we provide a simple construction based on graph factorization to prove this result whenever \(v\) is not divisible by \(3\).We then expand upon this result to exhibit further constructions of \(\text{BTDs}\).

We consider the projective properties of small Hadamard matrices when viewed as two-level \(OAs\) of strength two. We show that in some cases sets of rows with the same type of projection form balanced incomplete block designs.

Let \(H_i\) be the \(3\)-uniform hypergraph on \(4\) vertices with \(i\) hyperedges. In this paper, we settle the existence of \(H_3\)-hypergraph designs of index \(\lambda\), obtaining simple \(H_3\)-hypergraph designs when \(\lambda = 2\), and providing a new proof of their existence when \(\lambda = 1\). The existence of simple \(H_2\)-hypergraph designs of index \(\lambda\) is completely settled, as is the spectrum of \(H_2\)-hypergraph designs of index \(\lambda\).

This paper provides a general method for finding a critical set for any Latin square of order \(n\). This method is used to prove the existence of critical sets of various sizes. It has also been applied to all main classes of Latin squares of order seven, thereby producing a critical set for each Latin square of order seven.

Anne Street wrote an expository article about de Bruijn graphs in the 1970’s. We review some subsequent lines of research, at least one of which was inspired by her article.

No general algorithm is known for the functional decomposition of wild polynomials over a finite field. However, partial solutions exist. In particular, a fast functional decomposition algorithm for linearised polynomials has been developed using factoring methods in skew-polynomial rings. This algorithm is extended to a related class of wild polynomials, which are sub-linearised polynomials.

This paper presents a comparison of the performance of three optimisation heuristics in automated attacks on a simple classical cipher. The three optimisation heuristics considered are simulated annealing, the genetic algorithm, and the tabu search. Although similar attacks have been proposed previously, a comparison of multiple techniques has not been performed. Performance criteria such as efficiency and speed are investigated. The use of tabu search in the field of automated cryptanalysis is a largely unexplored area of research. A new attack on the simple substitution cipher utilizing tabu search is also presented in this paper.

Secret sharing schemes are one of the most important primitives in distributed systems. In perfect secret sharing schemes, collaboration between unauthorized participants cannot reduce their uncertainty about the secret. This paper presents a perfect secret sharing scheme arising from critical sets of Room squares.