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Fisher inequality

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2020 Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary: 05B05 [MSN][ZBL]

A constraint on the parameters of a balanced incomplete block design. A BIBD is an incidence system on a set $V$ of $v$ points and a family $B$ of $b$ blocks: subsets of points, each of size $k$. It is required that each point be contained in just $r$ blocks and each pair of points in just $\lambda$ blocks.

Fisher's inequality states that $$ b \ge v \ . $$

A symmetric design is one in which equality holds: $b = v$.

References

How to Cite This Entry:
Fisher inequality. Encyclopedia of Mathematics. URL: http://encyclopediaofmath.org/index.php?title=Fisher_inequality&oldid=37365