Completing simple partial k-Latin squares

We study the completion problem for simple k-Latin rectangles, which are a special case of the generalized latin rectangles studied for which embedding theorems are given by Andersen and Hilton (1980) in “Generalized Latin rectangles II: Embedding”, Discrete Mathematics 31(3). Here an alternative p...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nicholas Cavenagh, Giovanni Lo Faro, Antoinette Tripodi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti 2018-11-01
Series:Atti della Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti : Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali
Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1478/AAPP.96S2A4
Description
Summary:We study the completion problem for simple k-Latin rectangles, which are a special case of the generalized latin rectangles studied for which embedding theorems are given by Andersen and Hilton (1980) in “Generalized Latin rectangles II: Embedding”, Discrete Mathematics 31(3). Here an alternative proof of those theorems are given for k-Latin rectangles in the “simple” case. More precisely, generalizing two classic results on the completability of partial Latin squares, we prove the necessary and suffisucient conditions for a completion of a simple m x n k-Latin rectangle to a simple k-Latin square of order n and we show that if m ≤ n/2, any simple partial k-Latin square P of order m embeds in a simple k-Latin square L of order n.
ISSN:0365-0359
1825-1242