Nonexistence of pairs of maximal frequency squares of half frequency

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A frequency square of type (n;λ)(n;\lambda) is an n×nn\times n array in which each symbol occurs exactly λ\lambda times in every row and every column. Two frequency squares are orthogonal if each ordered pair of symbols occurs equally often in corresponding cells. A set of kk mutually orthogonal frequency squares of type (n;λ)(n;\lambda) is called kk-MOFS(n;λ)(n;\lambda), and it is maximal if no further frequency square of type (n;λ)(n;\lambda) is orthogonal to every member of the set; such a set is denoted kk-maxMOFS(n;λ)(n;\lambda). Nonexistence conjecture for pairs of maximal frequency squares. If nn is even, then there does not exist a set of 22-maxMOFS(n;n/2)(n;n/2). The conjecture is known when 44 divides nn, and it holds for n<8n<8 by the stated nonexistence results. The case in which n/2n/2 is odd remains open.

References

Primary source

Nicholas J. Cavenagh, Adam Mammoliti and Ian M. Wanless, “Maximal sets of mutually orthogonal frequency squares”, arXiv:2009.03475 (2020).

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