Unitals in the Hall plane

The unitals in the Hall plane are studied by deriving PG(2,q ²)and observing the effect on the unitals of PG(2,q ²).The number of Buekenhout and Buekenhout-Metz unitals in the Hall plane is determined. As a corollary we show that the classical unital is not embeddble in the Hall plane as a Buekenhout unital and that the Buekenhout unitals of H(q ²)are not embeddable as Buekenhout unitals in the Desarguesian plane. Finally, we generalize this technique to other translation planes.     

On small {;k; q};-arcs in planes of order q2

In this paper we examine some properties of complete {;k; q};-arcs in projective planes of order q². In particular, we derive a lower bound for k, and we exhibit a family of arcs having low values of k which exist in every such plane having a Baer subplane. In addition we resolve the existence problem for complete {;k; 3};-arcs in PG(2, 9).     

The translation planes of order q2 that admit SL(2,q) as a collineation group. II. Odd order

Let be a translation plane of odd order q², where q=p^r and p is a prime. If admits SL(2,q) (or PSL(2,q)) as a collineation group then is a Desarguesian, Hall, or Hering plane, or one of two Walker planes of order 25.Partially supported by grants from the National Science Foundation.     

Non-classical polar unitals in finite Figueroa planes

The finite Figueroa planes are non-Desarguesian projective planes of order q ³ for all prime powers q > 2. These planes were constructed algebraically in 1982 by Figueroa, and Hering and Schaeffer, and synthetically in 1986 by Grundh?fer. All Figueroa planes of finite square order are shown to possess a unitary polarity by de Resmini and Hamilton in 1998, and hence admit unitals. Using the result of O??Nan in 1971 on the non-existence of his configuration in a classical unital, and the intrinsic characterization by Taylor in 1974 of the notion of perpendicularity induced by a unitary polarity in the classical plane (introduced by Dembowski and Hughes in 1965), we show that these Figueroa polar unitals do not satisfy a necessary condition, introduced by Wilbrink in 1983, for a unitary block design to be classical, and hence they are not classical.     

Cubic surfaces in AG(3, q) and projective planes of order q 3

Spread sets of projective planes of order q ³ are represented as sets of q ³ points in A AG(3, q ³). A line through the origin in A can be interpreted as a space A ₀ AG(3, q), and the spread set induces a cubic surface L in A ₀. If the projective plane is a semifield plane of dimension 3 over its kernel, then L has the property that it misses a plane of A ₀. Determining all such surfaces L leads to a complete classification of the semifield planes of order q ³, whose spread sets are division algebras of dimension 3.An alternative proof of a result due to Menichetti, that finite division algebras of dimension 3 are associative or are twisted fields, follows with the classification.     

Unitals in the regular nearfield planes

Classes of parabolic unitals in the regular nearfield planes of odd square order are enumerated and classified. These unitals correspond to certain Buekenhout-Metz unitals in the classical plane. Their collineation groups are determined and the unitals are sorted by projective equivalence.      

On central collineations of derived semifield planes

LetG denote the collineation group generated by the set of all affine central collineations in a derived semifield plane. We present a characterization of the Hall planes in terms of the order ofG. This essentially allows the extension of the theorems of Kirkpatrick and Rahilly on generalized Hall planes to arbitrary derived semifield planes. That is, a derived semifield plane of order q² is a Hall plane precisely when it admits q+1 involutory central collineations.     

The Classification of Projective Planes of Order q3 with Cone-Representations in PG (6, q)

The classification of cone-representations of projective planes of orderq ³ of index 3 and rank 4 (and so in PG(6,^q)) is completed. Any projective plane with a non-spread representation (being a cone-representation of the second kind) is a dual generalised Desarguesian translation plane, as found by Jha and Johnson, and conversely. Indeed, given any collineation of PG(2,^q) with no fixed points, there exists such a projective plane of order q³ , where q is a prime power, that has the second kind of cone-representation of index 3 and rank 4 in PG(6,q). An associated semifield plane of order q ³ is also constructed at most points of the plane. Although Jha and Johnson found this plane before, here we can show directly the geometrical connection between these two kinds of planes.     

A family of translation planes of order q3

In this note, some new class of translation planes of order q³, where q is an odd prime power with q 3,7, are constructed. The translation complement of any plane of this class has three orbits lengths 1, 1 and q³-1 on 1.     

Switching Sets Regolari E Cubiche Rigate DiP G(5,q) Piani Di Tralsazione Ad Essi AssociatiG(5,q) Piani Di Tralsazione Ad Essi Associati

In a recent paper, the authors studied some algebraic hypersurfaces of the third order in the projective spacePG(5,q) and they called them ruled cubics, since they possess three systems of planes. Any two of these constitute a regular switching set and furthermore, if Σ is a given regular spread ofPG(5,q), one of the three systems is contained in Σ. The subject of this note is to prove, conversely, that every regular switching set (Φ, Φ′) with Φ ? Σ is a ruled cubic and to construct, for a generic choice of the projective reference system inP G(5,q), the quasifield which coordinatizes the translation plane Π associated with the spread (Σ ? Φ) ∪ Φ′. The planes Π, of orderq ³, are a generalization of the finite Hall planes.     

A structure theory for two-dimensional translation planes of order q 2 that admit collineation groups of order q 2

This paper is devoted to the study of translation planes of order q ² and kernel GF(q) that admit a collineation group of order q ² in the linear translation complement. We give a representation of this group by a suitable set of matrices depending on some functions over GF(q). Using this representation we obtain several results concerning the existence and the collineation group of the plane.     

The classification of spreads in PG(3, q) admitting linear groups of order q(q+1), I. odd order

A classification is given of all spreads in PG(3, q), q = p^r, p odd, whose associated translation planes admit linear collineation groups of order q(q +1) such that a Sylow p-subgroup fixes a line and acts non-trivially on it.The authors are indebted to T. Penttila for pointing out the special examples of conical flock translation planes of order q² that admit groups of order q(q+1), when q = 23 or 47.     

On the Grassmanian of lines in PG(4,q) and R(1,2) reguli

An R(1,2) regulus is a collection of q+1 mutually skew planes in PG(5,q) with the property that a line meeting three of the planes must meet all the planes. An (l,π)-configuration is the collection of lines in PG(4,q) meeting a line l and a plane π skew to l. A correspondence between (l,π)-configurations in PG(4-,q) and R(1,2) reguli in the associated Grassmanian space G(1,4) is examined. Bose has shown that R(1,2) reguli represent Baer subplanes of a Desarguesian projective plane in a linear representation of the plane. With the purpose of examining the relations between two Baer subplanes of PG(2,q²), the author examines the possible intersections of a 3-flat with an R(1,2) regulus.     

A nearfield-free definition of regular Hughes planes and some embeddings of PG(3,q) in Hughes planes of order q 4

We give a nearfield-free definition of some finite and infinite incidence systems by means of half-points and half-lines and show that they are projective planes. We determine a planar ternary ring for these planes and use it to determine the full collineation group and to demonstrate some embeddings of these planes among themselves. We show that these planes include all finite regular Hughes planes and many infinite ones. We also show that PG(3, q) embeds in Hu(q ⁴) (and show infinite versions of this embedding). Dan Hughes 80th Birthday.     

Fano subplanes in finite Figueroa planes

It has been conjectured that all non-desarguesian projective planes contain a Fano subplane. The Figueroa planes are a family of non-translation planes that are defined for both infinite orders and finite order q ³ for q > 2 a prime power. We will show that there is an embedded Fano subplane in the Figueroa plane of order q ³ for q any prime power.     

Hyperbolic unitals in the Hall planes

A new transformation method for incidence structures was introduced in [8],an open problem is to characterize classical incidence structures obtained by transformation of others. In this work we give some, sufficient conditions to transform, with the procedure of [8],a unital embedded in a projective plane into another one. As application of this result we construct unitals in the Hall planes by transformation of the hermitian curves and we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the constructed unitals to be projectively equivalent. This allows to find different classes of not projectively equivalent Buekenhout's unitals, [2],and to find the class of unitals descovered by Grüning, [4],easily proving its embeddability in the dual of a Hall plane. Finally we prove that the affine unital associated to the unital of [4]is isomorphic to the affine hyperbolic hermitian curve.Work performed under the auspicies of G.N.S.A.G.A. and supported by 40% grants of M.U.R.S.T.     

Characterization of Translation Planes by Orbit Lengths

The Desarguesian, Hall, and Hering translation planes of order q² are characterized as exactly those translation planes of odd order with spreads in PG (3,q) that admit a linear collineation group with infinite orbits one of length q+1 and i of length (q-q) /i for i=1 or 2.     

Collineation groups of translation planes admitting hyperbolic Buekenhout or parabolic Buekenhout-Metz unitals

It is shown that for every semifield spread in PG(3,q) and for every parabolic Buekenhout-Metz unital, there is a collineation group of the associated translation plane that acts transitively and regularly on the affine points of the parabolic unital. Conversely, any spread admitting such a group is shown to be a semifield spread. For hyperbolic Buekenhout unitals, various collineation groups of translation planes admitting such unitals and the associated planes are determined.     

Switching Sets Regolari E Cubiche Rigate Di P G (5, q ) Piani Di Tralsazione Ad Essi Associati G (5, q ) Piani Di Tralsazione Ad Essi Associati

In a recent paper, the authors studied some algebraic hypersurfaces of the third order in the projective spacePG(5,q) and they called them ruled cubics, since they possess three systems of planes. Any two of these constitute a regular switching set and furthermore, if Σ is a given regular spread ofPG(5,q), one of the three systems is contained in Σ. The subject of this note is to prove, conversely, that every regular switching set (Φ, Φ′) with Φ ⊂ Σ is a ruled cubic and to construct, for a generic choice of the projective reference system inP G(5,q), the quasifield which coordinatizes the translation plane Π associated with the spread (Σ − Φ) ∪ Φ′. The planes Π, of orderq ³, are a generalization of the finite Hall planes.     

Fixed points of projectivities of prime order

This work begins with a review of the classical results for fixed points of projectivities in a projective plane over a general commutative field. The second section of this work features all the material necessary to prove the main result, which is presented in Theorem 2.8. It is shown that, in a finite projective plane of order q, there exists a projectivity g? of prime order p?>?3 if and only if p divides exactly one of the integers q ? 1, q, q?+?1, q ² + q + 1. Theorem 2.8 establishes a correspondence between the possible structures of points fixed by g?, as presented in Theorem 1.3, and the integer that is divisible by p. The special case of p = 2 is handled in Sect. 2.1, where it is shown that every involution is a harmonic homology for q odd and an elation for q even. The special case of p?=?3 is handled in Sect. 2.2, and Theorem 2.8 is adapted for p?=?3 and presented as Theorem 2.15. An application of Theorems 2.8 and 2.15 is determining the sizes of (n, r)-arcs that are stabilized by projectivities of prime order p in the finite projective plane of order q; in Sect. 3, this application is presented in Propositions 3.2 and 3.3.