Maximal partial spreads in PG (3, q)

We transfer the whole geometry of PG(3, q) over a non-singular quadric Q_4,q of PG(4, q) mapping suitably PG(3, q) over Q_4,q. More precisely the points of PG(3, q) are the lines of Q_4,q; the lines of PG(3, q) are the tangent cones of Q_4,q and the reguli of the hyperbolic quadrics hyperplane section of Q_4,q. A plane of PG(3, q) is the set of lines of Q_4,q meeting a fixed line of Q_4,q. We remark that this representation is valid also for a projective space over any field K and we apply the above representation to construct maximal partial spreads in PG(3, q). For q even we get new cardinalities for For q odd the cardinalities are partially known.     

Some Characterizations of Finite Hermitian Veroneseans

We characterize the finite Veronesean of all Hermitian varieties of PG(n,q²) as the unique representation of PG(n,q²) in PG(d,q), d n(n+2), where points and lines of PG(n,q²) are represented by points and ovoids of solids, respectively, of PG(d,q), with the only condition that the point set of PG(d,q) corresponding to the point set of PG(n,q²) generates PG(d,q). Using this result for n=2, we show that is characterized by the following properties: (1) ; (2) each hyperplane of PG(8,q) meets in q²+1, q³+1 or q³+q²+1 points; (3) each solid of PG(8,q) having at least q+3 points in common with shares exactly q²+1 points with it.51E24     

Ambient Spaces of Dimensional Dual Arcs

A d-dimensional dual arc in PG(n, q) is a higher dimensional analogue of a dual arc in a projective plane. For every prime power q other than 2, the existence of a d-dimensional dual arc (d 2) in PG(n, q) of a certain size implies n d(d + 3)/2 (Theorem 1). This is best possible, because of the recent construction of d-dimensional dual arcs in PG(d(d + 3)/2, q) of size ^d–1 _i=0 q ⁱ, using the Veronesean, observed first by Thas and van Maldeghem (Proposition 7). Another construction using caps is given as well (Proposition 10).     

Elliptic near-MDS codes over $${\mathbb{F}}_5$$

Let Γ₆ be the elliptic curve of degree 6 in PG(5, q) arising from a non-singular cubic curve of PG(2, q) via the canonical Veronese embedding

Partial t-Spreads in PG(2t+1,q)

This article first of all discusses the problem of the cardinality of maximal partial spreads in PG(3,q), q square, q>4. Let r be an integer such that 2rq+1 and such that every blocking set of PG(2,q) with at most q+r points contains a Baer subplane. If S is a maximal partial spread of PG(3,q) with q ²-1-r lines, then r=s( +1) for an integer s2 and the set of points of PG(3,q) not covered byS is the disjoint union of s Baer subgeometriesPG(3, ). We also discuss maximal partial spreads in PG(3,p ³), p=p ₀ ^h , p ₀ prime, p ₀ 5, h 1, p 5. We show that if p is non-square, then the minimal possible deficiency of such a spread is equal to p ²+p+1, and that if such a maximal partial spread exists, then the set of points of PG(3,p ³) not covered by the lines of the spread is a projected subgeometryPG(5,p) in PG(3,p ³). In PG(3,p ³),p square, for maximal partial spreads of deficiency p ²+p+1, the combined results from the preceding two cases occur. In the final section, we discuss t-spreads in PG(2t+1,q), q square or q a non-square cube power. In the former case, we show that for small deficiencies , the set of holes is a disjoint union of subgeometries PG(2t+1, ), which implies that 0 (mod +1) and, when (2t+1)( -1) <q-1, that 2( +1). In the latter case, the set of holes is the disjoint union of projected subgeometries PG(3t+2, ) and this implies 0 (mod q ^2/3+q ^1/3+1). A more general result is also presented.     

Small complete caps inPG(2,q), forq an odd square

An interesting class ofk-arcs withk=4(–1) in the projective plane overGF(q) is constructed forq an odd square; the construction yields many complete arcs of small size inPG(2,q) whenq2401.The research was supported by Italian MURST progetto 40%Strutture Geometriche, Combinatoria e loro applicazioni and by CNR Progetto StrategicoApplicazioni della matematica per la tecnologia e la società sottoprogettoCalcolo simbolico and by GNSAGA.     

Quasi-Symmetric Designs with Good Blocks and Intersection Number One

We show that a quasi-symmetric design with intersection numbers 1 and y > 1 and a good block belongs to one of three types: (a) it has the same parameters as PG ₂(4, q), the design of points and planes in projective 4-space; (b) it is the 2-(23, 7, 21) Witt design; (c) its parameters may be written v = 1 + (( – 1) + 1)(y – 1) and k = 1 + (y – 1), where is an integer and > y 5, and the design induced on a good block is a 2-(k, y, 1) design. No design of type (c) is known; moreover, for large ranges of the parameters, it cannot exist for arithmetic reasons concerning the parameters. We show also that PG ₂(4, q) is the only design of type (a) in which all blocks are good.     

Transitive A 6-invariant k-arcs in PG(2, q)

For q = p ^r with a prime p ≥ 7 such that ${q \equiv 1}$ or 19 (mod 30), the desarguesian projective plane PG(2, q) of order q has a unique conjugacy class of projectivity groups isomorphic to the alternating group A ₆ of degree 6. For a projectivity group ${\Gamma \cong A_6}$ of PG(2, q), we investigate the geometric properties of the (unique) Γ-orbit ${\mathcal{O}}$ of size 90 such that the 1-point stabilizer of Γ in its action on ${\mathcal O}$ is a cyclic group of order 4. Here ${\mathcal O}$ lies either in PG(2, q) or in PG(2, q ²) according as 3 is a square or a non-square element in GF(q). We show that if q ≥ 349 and q ≠ 421, then ${\mathcal O}$ is a 90-arc, which turns out to be complete for q = 349, 409, 529, 601,661. Interestingly, ${\mathcal O}$ is the smallest known complete arc in PG(2,601) and in PG(2,661). Computations are carried out by MAGMA.     

Embedded Thick Finite Generalized Hexagons in Projective Space

We show that every embedded finite thick generalized hexagon of order (s, t) in PG(n,q) which satisfies the conditions

1. s = q
2. the set of all points of generates PG(n, q)
3. for anypoint x of , the set of all points collinear in withx is containedin a plane of PG(n, q)
4. for any point x of , the set of allpoints of not oppositex in is contained in a hyperplane ofPG,(n, q)

is necessarily the standard representation of H(q) in PG(6,q) (on the quadric Q(6, q)), the standard representation ofH(q) for q even in PG(5, q) (inside a symplectic space), orthe standard representation of H(q, ) in PG(7, q) (where the lines of are the lines fixed by a trialityon the quadric Q⁺(7, q)). This generalizes a result by Cameronand Kantor [3], which is used in our proof.     

Blocking Sets of Certain Line Sets Related to a Conic

In this paper we classify point sets of minimum size of two types (1) point sets meeting all secants to an irreducible conic of the desarguesian projective plane PG(2,q), q odd; (2) point sets meeting all external lines and tangents to a given irreducible conic of the desarguesian projective plane PG(2,q), q even.     

Characterizing geometric designs, II

We provide a characterization of the classical point-line designs PG₁(n,q), where n?3, among all non-symmetric 2-(v,k,1)-designs as those with the maximal number of hyperplanes. As an application of this result, we characterize the classical quasi-symmetric designs PGn−2(n,q), where n?4, among all (not necessarily quasi-symmetric) designs with the same parameters as those having line size q+1 and all intersection numbers at least qn−4+?+q+1. Finally, we also give an explicit lower bound for the number of non-isomorphic designs having the same parameters as PG₁(n,q); in particular, we obtain a new proof for the known fact that this number grows exponentially for any fixed value of q.     

Geometric construction of association schemes from non-degenerate quadrics

LetF _q be a finite field withq elements, whereq is a power of an odd prime. In this paper, we assume that δ=0,1 or 2 and consider a projective spacePG(2ν+δ,F _q ), partitioned into an affine spaceAG(2ν+δ,F _q ) of dimension 2ν+δ and a hyperplaneℋ=PG(2ν+δ−1,F _q ) of dimension 2ν+δ−1 at infinity. The points of the hyperplaneℋ are next partitioned into three subsets. A pair of pointsa andb of the affine space is defined to belong to classi if the line meets the subseti of ℋ. Finally, we derive a family of three-class association schemes, and compute their parameters. This project is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 19571024).     

Classification of Embeddings of the Flag Geometries of Projective Planes in Finite Projective Spaces, Part 2

The flag geometry Γ=( ,  , I) of a finite projective plane Π of order s is the generalized hexagon of order (s, 1) obtained from Π by putting equal to the set of all flags of Π, by putting equal to the set of all points and lines of Π, and where I is the natural incidence relation (inverse containment), i.e., Γ is the dual of the double of Π in the sense of H. Van Maldeghem (1998, “Generalized Polygons,” Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel). Then we say that Γ is fully and weakly embedded in the finite projective space PG(d, q) if Γ is a subgeometry of the natural point-line geometry associated with PG(d, q), if s=q, if the set of points of Γ generates PG(d, q), and if the set of points of Γ not opposite any given point of Γ does not generate PG(d, q). In two earlier papers we have shown that the dimension d of the projective space belongs to {6, 7, 8}, that the projective plane Π is Desarguesian, and we have classified the full and weak embeddings of Γ (Γ as above) in the case that there are two opposite lines L, M of Γ with the property that the subspace U_L, M of PG(d, q) generated by all lines of Γ meeting either L or M has dimension 6 (which is automatically satisfied if d=6). In the present paper, we partly handle the case d=7; more precisely, we consider for d=7 the case where for all pairs (L, M) of opposite lines of Γ, the subspace U_L, M has dimension 7 and where there exist four lines concurrent with L contained in a 4-dimensional subspace of PG(7, q).     

Blocking sets in PG(2, q n ) from cones of PG(2n, q)

Let Ω and be a subset of Σ = PG(2n−1,q) and a subset of PG(2n,q) respectively, with Σ ⊂ PG(2n,q) and . Denote by K the cone of vertex Ω and base and consider the point set B defined by

Quasi-symmetric 3-designs with triangle-free graph

The following result is proved: Let D be a quasi-symmetric 3-design with intersection numbers x, y(0x<y<k). D has no three distinct blocks such that any two of them intersect in x points if and only if D is a Hadamard 3-design, or D has a parameter set (v, k, ) where v=(+2)(²+4+2)+1, k=²+3+2 and =1,2,..., or D is a complement of one of these designs.     

Transitive Arcs in Planes of Even Order

When one considers the hyperovals inPG(2,q),qeven,q>2, then the hyperoval inPG(2, 4) and the Lunelli-Sce hyperoval inPG(2, 16) are the only hyperovals stabilized by a transitive projective group [10]. In both cases, this group is an irreducible group fixing no triangle in the plane of the hyperoval, nor in a cubic extension of that plane. Using Hartley's classification of subgroups ofPGL₃(q),qeven [6], allk-arcs inPG(2,q) fixed by a transitive irreducible group, fixing no triangle inPG(2,q) or inPG(2,q³), are determined. This leads to new 18-, 36- and 72-arcs inPG(2,q),q=2^2h. The projective equivalences among the arcs are investigated and each section ends with a detailed study of the collineation groups of these arcs.     

Arcs fixed byA 5 andA 6

The complete list of thek-arcsK inPG(n, q) fixed by a projective group isomorphic toA ₅ orA ₆, which acts primitively on the points ofK, is presented. This leads to new classes of 10-arcs inPG(n, q), 3 n 5. Our results also show that the non-classical 10-arc inPG(4, 9), discovered by D.G. Glynn [3], belongs to an infinite class of 10-arcs inPG(4, 3^h),h 2, fixed by a projective group isomorphic toA ₆.The first author wishes to thank the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research for financial supportSenior research assistant of the Belgian National Fund for Scientific ResearchDedicated to Professor M. Scafati Tallini on the occasion of her sixtyfifth birthday     

Blocking Sets and Derivable Partial Spreads

We prove that a GF(q)-linear Rédei blocking set of size q ^t + q ^t–1 + ··· + q + 1 of PG(2,q ^t) defines a derivable partial spread of PG(2t – 1, q). Using such a relationship, we are able to prove that there are at least two inequivalent Rédei minimal blocking sets of size q ^t + q ^t–1 + ··· + q + 1 in PG(2,q ^t), if t 4.     

Theq-gamma function forx<0

F. H. Jackson defined aq analogue of the gamma function which extends theq-factorial (n!) _q =1(1+q)(1+q+q ²)...(1+q+q ²+...+q ^n–1) to positivex. Askey studied this function and obtained analogues of most of the classical facts about the gamma function, for 0<q<1. He proved an analogue of the Bohr-Mollerup theorem, which states that a logarithmically convex function satisfyingf(1)=1 andf(x+1)=[(q ^x –1)/(q–1)]f(x) is in fact theq-gamma function He also studied the behavior of _q asq changes and showed that asq1^–, theq-gamma function becomes the ordinary gamma function forx>0.I proved many of these results forq>1. The current paper contains a study of the behavior of _q (x) forx<0 and allq>0. In addition to some basic properties of _q , we will study the behavior of the sequence {x _n (q)} of critical points asn orq changes.