Computer aided construction of efficient multi-level supersaturated designs

Abstract

Motivated by the computer search algorithms for constructing two-level supersaturated designs by Heavlin and Finnegan (1993), Li and Wu (1997), Nguyen (1996), Lejeune (2003) and Gupta, Parsad, Kole and Bhar (2008), this paper develops an algorithm to generate multi-level supersaturated designs. Popular E(fnod) and E(λ^2) criterion have been used as a measure of non-orthogonality for the designs generated. The algorithm also ensures that no two columns in the designs generated are fully aliased. A catalogue of 120 optimal supersaturated designs for different number of factors m, design runs n, with 5 ≤ n < 16 runs, and different number of factor levels q, with 3 < q < 6, has been prepared. All the designs generated are fnod-optimal; some designs are λ^2-optimal too.