An algorithm for finding efficient test-control block designs with correlated observations

The theory of optimal test-control block designs provides guidance on treatments allocation in experimental units. However, it is theoretically difficult to find them; therefore, the availability of an efficient and user-friendly algorithm for finding the optimal designs is essential for both researchers and practitioners. This paper describes an algorithm for constructing efficient test-control incomplete block designs with correlated observations. In order to evaluate the algorithm, we compare our results with the optimal designs presented in some published papers. An advantage of our algorithm is its independency to the size of blocks and the structure of correlation. Also, it takes to run between 30 s and 10 min depending on the type of CPU processor and the design.