A star-factor of a graph \(G\) is a spanning subgraph of \(G\) such that each component of which is a star. In this paper, we study the structure of the graphs with a unique star-factor and obtain an upper bound on the mnumber of edges such graphs can have. We also investigate the number of star-factors in a regular graph.

Let \(J[v]\) denote the set of numbers \(k\) such that there exist two semi-symmetric Latin squares (SSLS) of order \(v\) which have \(k\) entries in common. In this paper, we show that \begin{align*}
J[3] &= \{0, 9\}, J[4] = \{0, 1, 3, 4, 9, 12, 16\}, \\
J[5] &= \{0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 18, 21, 25\}, \\
J[6] &= \{0, 1, 2, \ldots, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 36\}, \text{ and} \\
J[v] &= \{0, 1, 2, \ldots, v^2\} \setminus \{v^2-1, v^2-2, v^2-3, v^2-5, v^2-6\}
\end{align*}
for each \(v \geq 7\).

A holey perfect Mendelsohn design of type \(h_1^{n_1} h_2^{n_2} \ldots h_k^{n_k}\) (HPMD\((h_1^{n_1} h_2^{n_2} \ldots h_k^{n_k})\)), with block size four is equivalent to a frame idempotent quasigroup satisfying Stein’s third law with the same type, where a frame quasigroup of type \(h_1^{n_1} h_2^{n_2} \ldots h_k^{n_k}\) means a quasigroup of order \(n\) with \(n_i\) missing subquasigroups (holes) of order \(h_i\), \(1 \leq i \leq k\), which are disjoint and spanning, that is \(\sum_{1\leq i \leq k} n_ih_i = n\). In this paper, we investigate the existence of HPMD\((2^n3^1)\) and show that an HPMD\((2^n3^1)\) exists if and only if \(n \geq 4\). As an application, we readily obtain HSOLS\((2^n3^1)\) and establish the existence of \((2,3,1)\) [or \((3,1,2)\)]-HCOLS\((2^n3^1)\) for all \(n \geq 4\).

Much of chordal graph theory and its applications is based on chordal graphs being the intersection graphs of subtrees of trees. This suggests also looking at intersection graphs of subgraphs of chordal graphs, and so on, with appropriate conditions imposed on the subgraphs.This paper investigates such a hierarchy of generalizations of “chordal-type” graphs, emphasizing the so-called “ekachordal graphs” — those next in line beyond chordal graphs. Parts of the theory of chordal graphs do carry over to chordal-type graphs, including a recursive, elimination characterization for ekachordal graphs.

We present a new construction to obtain frames with block size four using certain skew Room frames. The existence results of Rees and Stinson for frames with block size four are improved, especially nfor hole sizes divisible by \(6\). As a by-product of the skew Room frames we construct, we are also able to show that a resolvable \((K_4 – e)\)-design with \(60t + 16\) points exists if \(t \geq 0\) and \(t \neq 8, 12\).

It has been proved that the smallest rectangular board on which a \( (p, q) \)-knight’s graph is connected has sides \( p+q \) by \( 2q \) when \( p < q \). It has also been proved that these minimal connected knight's graphs are of genus \( 0 \) or \( 1 \), and that they are of genus \( 0 \) when \( p \) and \( q \) are of the form \( Md+1 \) and \( (M+1)d+1 \), with \( M \) a non-negative integer and \( d \) a positive odd integer. It is proved in this paper that the minimal connected knight's graph is of genus \( 1 \) in all other cases.