Another example is a block design. Here X is a finite set of "points" and Y is a class of subsets of X, called "blocks", subject to rules that depend on the type of design. The incidence matrix is an important tool in the theory of block designs. For instance, it can be used to prove Fisher's inequality, a fundamental theorem of balanced incomplete 2-designs (BIBDs), that the number of blocks is at least the number of points. Considering the blocks as a system of sets, the permanent of the incidence matrix is the number of systems of distinct representatives (SDRs). | Another example is a block design. Here X is a finite set of "points" and Y is a class of subsets of X, called "blocks", subject to rules that depend on the type of design. The incidence matrix is an important tool in the theory of block designs. For instance, it can be used to prove Fisher's inequality, a fundamental theorem of balanced incomplete 2-designs (BIBDs), that the number of blocks is at least the number of points. Considering the blocks as a system of sets, the permanent of the incidence matrix is the number of systems of distinct representatives (SDRs). |