Let \(S\) and \(T\) be subsets of a finite group \(G\) with identity \(e\), We write \(G-e =ST\) if every non-identity element \(g\) can be written uniquely as \(g = st\) with \(s \in S\) and \(t \in T\). These near-factorizations are motivated by the combinatorial problem of
finding \((0 , 1)\)-matrix factorizations of the matrix \(J-I\). We derive some results on near-factors \(S\) and \(T\). For example, \(S\) and \(T\) each generate \(G\). Also, if \(G\) is abelian, then the automorphism \(g \rightarrow g^{-1}\) is a multiplier of both \(S\) and \(T\). If the elementary abelian group \(C_p^n\) (\(p\) an odd prime) is a homomorphic image of \(G\), then \(|S|^{p-1} \equiv |T|^{p-1} \equiv 1
(mod p)\). These structure theorems suggest that noncyclic abelian groups rarely have near-factorizations. Constructions of near-factorizations are given for cyclic groups and dihedral groups.

We prove that the intersection of longest paths in a connected graph \(G\) is nonempty if and only if for every block \(B\) of \(G\) the longest paths in \(G\) which use at least one edge of \(B\) have nonempty intersection. This result is used to show that if every block of a graph \(G\) is Hamilton-connected, almost-Hamilton-connected, or a cycle then all longest paths in \(G\) intersect. (We call a bipartite graph almost-Hamilton-connected if every pair of vertices is connected by a path containing an entire bipartition set.) We also show that in a split graph all longest paths intersect. (A graph is split if there exists a partition of its vertex set into a stable set and a complete set.)

Blocking sets in little and large Mathieu designs, have all been characterized except the case \(S(5, 8, 24)\). The aim of this paper is to give the complete classification of blocking sets in this remaining case.

For a graph \(G\), define \(\phi(G) = \min \{\max \{d(u), d(v)\} | d(u,v) = 2\}\) if \(G\) contains two vertices at distance 2, and \(\phi(G) = \infty\) otherwise. Fan proved that every 2-connected graph on \(n\) vertices with \(\phi(G) > \frac{1}{2}n\) is hamiltonian. Short proofs of this result and a number of analogues, some known, some new, are presented. Also, it is shown that if \(G\) is 2-connected, \(\phi(G) \geq \frac{1}{2}(n-i)\) and \(G – \{v \in V(G) | d(v) \geq \frac{1}{2} (n-i)\}\) has at least three components with more than \(i\) vertices, then \(G\) is hamiltonian (\(i \geq1\)).

We state here that, for modulus \(m\) odd and less than \(2^{29}+2^{27} – 1\), no (nontrivial) perfect binary arithmetic code, correcting two errors or more, exists (this is to be taken with respect to the Garcia-Rao modular distance). In particular, in the case \(m = 2^n \pm 1\), which is most frequently studied, no such code exists for \(m < 2^{33} – 1\).

Constructions of partially balanced incomplete block designs with three and four associate classes are given. The constructions use \(\epsilon\)-designs for \(t=6\) and \(t=8\).

Let \(X\) be a finite set of order \(mn\), and assume that the points of \(X\) are arranged in an array of size \(m \times n\). The columns of the array will be called groups.
In this paper we consider a new type of group divisible designs called modified group divisible designs in which each \(\{x,y\} \subseteq X\) such that \(x\) and \(y\) are neither in the same group nor in the same row occurs \(\lambda\) times. This problem was motivated by the problem of resolvable group divisible designs with \(k = 3\), \(\lambda = 2\) [1] , and other constructions of designs.

FE. Bennett has proved that a \((v, 4, 1)\)-RPMD exists for every positive integer \(v \equiv 1 \pmod{4}\) with the possible exception of \(v = 33, 57, 93\) and \(133\). In this paper, we shall first introduce the concept of an incomplete PMD and use it to establish some construction methods for Mendelsohn designs; then we shall give the following results: (1) a \((v, 4, 1)\)-PMD exists for every positive integer \(v \equiv 0 \pmod{4}\) with the exception of \(v = 4\) and the possible exception of \(v = 8, 12\);(2) a \((v, 4, 1)\)-PMD exists if \(v = 57, 93\) or \(133\).