Triple Systems

Among the simplest combinatorial designs, triple systems are a natural generalization of graphs and have connections with geometry, algebra, group theory, finite fields, and cyclotomy. Applications of triple systems are found in coding theory, cryptography, computer science, and statistics. In many cases, triple systems provide the prototype for deep results in combinatorial design theory, and a number of important results were first understood in the context of triple systems and then generalized. This book attempts to survey current knowledge on the subject, to gather together common themes, and to provide an accurate portrait of the huge variety of problems and results. It includes representative samples of the major styles of proof technique and a comprehensive bibliography.

Charles Colbourn is at University of Vermont. Alex Rosa is at McMaster University.