Balanced incomplete block design ($(t,b,r,k,\lambda )$)

A binary block design has $t$ treatments, $b$ blocks of size $k<t$, every treatment in $r$ blocks, and every distinct pair in $\lambda$ blocks. Counting occurrences and pairs gives $tr=bk$ and $r(k-1)=\lambda (t-1)$. Its incidence matrix of a set system $N$ satisfies $N{N}^T=(r-\lambda )I+\lambda 11^T$. For statistical comparison of all treatment effects one also needs connectedness; $\lambda >0$ guarantees it, whereas singleton blocks with $\lambda =0$ do not.

A balanced incomplete block design is symmetric when its number of blocks equals its number of treatments. The identity $bk=tr$ then gives $r=k$. Its square incidence matrix of a set system $N$ obeys $N{N}^T=(r-\lambda )I+\lambda J$, with eigenvalues $r-\lambda$ of multiplicity $t-1$ and $r^2$ of multiplicity one.

In a nontrivial symmetric balanced incomplete block design, $\det (N{)}^2=r^2(r-\lambda {)}^{t-1}$. If $t$ is even, $t-1$ is odd. For every prime, the exponent in the left side is even and that in $r^2$ is even, so its exponent in $r-\lambda$ must be even. Thus $r-\lambda$ is a perfect square. This supplies an elementary necessary existence condition without claiming it is sufficient.

For a balanced incomplete block design with $r>\lambda$, $N{N}^T$ has eigenvalues $r-\lambda >0$ on the zero-sum subspace and $r+(t-1)\lambda >0$ on the constant vector. Thus its rank is $t$. As $N$ is $t\times b$, $t=\mathrm{rank}(N{N}^T)\le \mathrm{rank}(N)\le b$.