Optimal balanced 27fractional factorial designs of resolution V, 49 ≤ N ≤55

Abstract

In this paper, we present a class of fractional factorial designs of the 27 series, which are of resolutionV. Such designs allow the estimation of the general mean, the main effects and the two factors interactions (29 parameters in all for the 27 factorial) assuming that the higher order effects are negligible. For every value ofN (the number of runs) such that 29≦N≦42, we give a resolutionV design that is optimal (with respect to the trace criterion) within the subclass of balanced designs. Also, for convenience of analysis, we present for each design, the covariance matrix of the estimates of the various parameters. As a by product, we establish many interesting combinatorial theorems concerning balanced arrays of strength four (which are generalizations of orthogonal arrays of strength four, and also of balanced incomplete block designs with block sizes not necessarily equal).