Caps on Elliptic Quadrics

G. L. Ebert (1985) constructed (qⁿ + 1)-caps in PG(2n − 1, q), n even, which were the orbits of the subgroup of order qⁿ + 1 of a cyclic Singer group of PG(2n − 1, q). This article shows that these caps are the intersection of n − 1 linearly independent elliptic quadrics of PG(2n − 1, q).     

On generalized Hadamard matrices of minimum rank

Generalized Hadamard matrices of order qⁿ⁻¹ (q—a prime power, n2) over GF(q) are related to symmetric nets in affine 2-(qⁿ,qⁿ⁻¹,(qⁿ⁻¹−1)/(q−1)) designs invariant under an elementary abelian group of order q acting semi-regularly on points and blocks. The rank of any such matrix over GF(q) is greater than or equal to n−1. It is proved that a matrix of minimum q-rank is unique up to a monomial equivalence, and the related symmetric net is a classical net in the n-dimensional affine geometry AG(n,q).     

Mixed partitions and related designs

We define a mixed partition of Π =  PG(d, q ^r ) to be a partition of the points of Π into subspaces of two distinct types; for instance, a partition of PG(2n ? 1, q ²) into (n ? 1)-spaces and Baer subspaces of dimension 2n ? 1. In this paper, we provide a group theoretic method for constructing a robust class of such partitions. It is known that a mixed partition of PG(2n ? 1, q ²) can be used to construct a (2n ? 1)-spread of PG(4n ? 1, q) and, hence, a translation plane of order q ²ⁿ . Here we show that our partitions can be used to construct generalized Andrè planes, thereby providing a geometric representation of an infinite family of generalized Andrè planes. The results are then extended to produce mixed partitions of PG(rn ? 1, q ^r ) for r ≥ 3, which lift to (rn ? 1)-spreads of PG(r ² n ? 1, q) and hence produce $2-(q^{r^2n},q^{rn},1)$ (translation) designs with parallelism. These designs are not isomorphic to the designs obtained from the points and lines of AG(r, q ^rn ).     

Lower bounds for the cardinality of minimal blocking sets in projective spaces

In this paper new lower bounds for the cardinality of minimal m-blocking sets are determined. Let r₂(q) be the number such that q+r₂(q)+1 is the cardinality of the smallest non-trivial line-blocking set in a plane of order q. If B is a minimal m-blocking set in PG(n,q) that contains at most q^m+q^m−1+…+q+1+r₂(q)·(∑_i=2m−n′^m−1qⁱ) points for an integer n′ satisfying mn′2m, then the dimension of B is at most n′. If the dimension of B is n′, then the following holds. The cardinality of B equals q^m+q^m−1+…+q+1+r₂(q)(∑_i=2m−n′^m−1qⁱ). For n′=m the set B is an m-dimensional subspace and for n′=m+1 the set B is a cone with an (m−2)-dimensional vertex over a non-trivial line-blocking set of cardinality q+r₂(q)+1 in a plane skew to the vertex. This result is due to Heim (Mitt. Math. Semin. Giessen 226 (1996), 4–82). For n′>m+1 and q not a prime the number q is a square and for q16 the set B is a Baer cone. If q is odd and |B|<q^m+q^m−1+…+q+1+r₂(q)(q^m−1+q^m−2), it follows from this result that the subspace generated by B has dimension at most m+1. Furthermore we prove that in this case, if , then B is an m-dimensional subspace or a cone with an (m−2)-dimensional vertex over a non-trivial line-blocking set of cardinality q+r₂(q)+1 in a plane skew to the vertex. For q=p^3h, p7 and q not a square we show this assertion for |B|q^m+q^m−1+…+q+1+q^2/3·(q^m−1+…+1).     

Error bounds for least squares approximation by polynomials

Let f ε Cⁿ⁺¹[−1, 1] and let H[f](x) be the nth degree weighted least squares polynomial approximation to f with respect to the orthonormal polynomials q_k associated with a distribution dα on [−1, 1]. It is shown that if q_n+1/q_n max(q_n+1(1)/q_n(1), −q_n+1(−1)/q_n(−1)), then f − H[f] f^{n + 1} · q_n+1/q_{n + 1}^{(n + 1)}, where · denotes the supremum norm. Furthermore, it is shown that in the case of Jacobi polynomials with distribution (1 − t)^α (1 + t)^β dt, α, β > −1, the condition on q_n+1/q_n is satisfied when either max(α,β) −1/2 or −1 < α = β < −1/2.     

Baer subgeometry partitions

For any odd integern 3 and prime powerq, it is known thatPG(n–1, q²) can be partitioned into pairwise disjoint subgeometries isomorphic toPG(n–1, q) by taking point orbits under an appropriate subgroup of a Singer cycle ofPG(n–1, q²). In this paper, we construct Baer subgeometry partitions of these spaces which do not arise in the classical manner. We further illustrate some of the connections between Baer subgeometry partitions and several other areas of combinatorial interest, most notably projective sets and flagtransitive translation planes.     

Cyclic Difference Packing and Covering Arrays

Let n and k be positive integers. Let C_q be a cyclic group of order q. A cyclic difference packing (covering) array, or a CDPA(k, n; q) (CDCA(k, n; q)), is a k × n array (a_ij) with entries a_ij (0 ≤ i ≤ k−1, 0 ≤ j ≤ n−1) from C_q such that, for any two rows t and h (0 ≤ t < h ≤ k−1), every element of C_q occurs in the difference list at most (at least) once. When q is even, then n ≤ q−1 if a CDPA(k, n; q) with k ≥ 3 exists, and n ≥ q+1 if a CDCA(k, n; q) with k ≥ 3 exists. It is proved that a CDCA(4, q+1; q) exists for any even positive integers, and so does a CDPA(4, q−1; q) or a CDPA(4, q−2; q). The result is established, for the most part, by means of a result on cyclic difference matrices with one hole, which is of interest in its own right.     

Special point sets inPG(n,q) and the structure of sets with the maximal number of nuclei

The structure of _{n– 1}-sets inPG(n, q) with more thanq – 1 nuclei is investigated. It is shown that classification of these sets with the maximal numberq ^{n– 1}-q ^{n– 2} of nuclei is equivalent to the classification of (q + l)-sets inPG(2,q) havingq –1 nuclei.Dedicated to Professer Walter Benz for his 60^th birthday     

On Semi-Pseudo-Ovoids

In this paper we introduce semi-pseudo-ovoids, as generalizations of the semi-ovals and semi-ovoids. Examples of these objects are particular classes of SPG-reguli and some classes of m-systems of polar spaces. As an application it is proved that the axioms of pseudo-ovoid O(n,2n,q) in PG(4n−1,q) can be considerably weakened and further a useful and elegant characterization of SPG-reguli with the polar property is given.Research Assistant of the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen)     

Normal Spreads

In Dedicata 16 (1984), pp. 291–313, the representation of Desarguesian spreads of the projective space PG(2t – 1, q) into the Grassmannian of the subspaces of rank t of PG(2t – 1, q) has been studied. Using a similar idea, we prove here that a normal spread of PG(rt – 1,q) is represented on the Grassmannian of the subspaces of rank t of PG(rt – 1, q) by a cap V _{r, t} of PG(r ^t – 1, q), which is the GF(q)-scroll of a Segre variety product of t projective spaces of dimension (r – 1), and that the collineation group of PG(r ^t – 1, q) stabilizing V _{r, t} acts 2-transitively on V _{r, t} . In particular, we prove that V _{3, 2} is the union of q ² – q + 1 disjoint Veronese surfaces, and that a Hermitan curve of PG(2, q ²) is represented by a hyperplane section U of V _{3, 2}. For q 0,2 (mod 3) the algebraic variety U is the unitary ovoid of the hyperbolic quadric Q ⁺ (7, q) constructed by W. M. Kantor in Canad. J. Math., 5 (1982), 1195–1207. Finally we study a class of blocking sets, called linear, proving that many of the known examples of blocking sets are of this type, and we construct an example in PG(3, q ²). Moreover, a new example of minimal blocking set of the Desarguesian projective plane, which is linear, has been constructed by P. Polito and O. Polverino.     

On codes with covering radius 1 and minimum distance 2

We show that a code C of length n over an alphabet Q of size q with minimum distance 2 and covering radius 1 satisfies |C| ≥ qⁿ⁻¹/(n − 1). For the special case n = q = 4 the smallest known example has |C| = 31. We give a construction for such a code C with |C| = 28.     

On the sharpness of a theorem of B. segre

The theorem of B. Segre mentioned in the title states that a complete arc of PG(2,q),q even which is not a hyperoval consists of at mostq−√q+1 points. In the first part of our paper we prove this theorem to be sharp forq=s ² by constructing completeq−√q+1-arcs. Our construction is based on the cyclic partition of PG(2,q) into disjoint Baer-subplanes. (See Bruck [1]). In his paper [5] Kestenband constructed a class of (q−√q+1)-arcs but he did not prove their completeness. In the second part of our paper we discuss the connections between Kestenband’s and our constructions. We prove that these constructions result in isomorphic (q−√q+1)-arcs. The proof of this isomorphism is based on the existence of a traceorthogonal normal basis in GF(q ³) over GF(q), and on a representation of GF(q)³ in GF(q ³)³ indicated in Jamison [4].     

A new extension theorem for linear codes

For an [n,k,d]_q code with k3, gcd(d,q)=1, the diversity of is defined as the pair (Φ₀,Φ₁) with

All the diversities for [n,k,d]_q codes with k3, d−2 (mod q) such that A_i=0 for all i0,−1,−2 (mod q) are found and characterized with their spectra geometrically, which yields that such codes are extendable for all odd q5. Double extendability is also investigated.     

Matroids with No (q+2)-Point-Line Minors

It is known that a geometry with rankrand no minor isomorphic to the (q+2)-point line has at most (q^r−1)/(q−1) points, with strictly fewer points ifr>3 andqis not a prime power. Forqnot a prime power andr>3, we show thatq^r−1−1 is an upper bound. Forqa prime power andr>3, we show that any rank-rgeometry with at leastq^r−1points and no (q+2)-point-line minor is representable overGF(q). We strengthen these bounds toq^r−1−(q^r−2−1)/(q−1)−1 andq^r−1−(q^r−2−1)/(q−1) respectively whenqis odd. We give an application to unique representability and a new proof of Tutte's theorem: A matroid is binary if and only if the 4-point line is not a minor.     

Characterizing Combinatorial Geometries by Numerical Invariants

We show that the projective geometry PG(r − 1,q ) for r & 3 is the only rank- r(combinatorial) geometry with (q^r − 1) / (q − 1) points in which all lines have at least q + 1 points. For r = 3, these numerical invariants do not distinguish between projective planes of the same order, but they do distinguish projective planes from other rank-3 geometries. We give similar characterizations of affine geometries. In the core of the paper, we investigate the extent to which partition lattices and, more generally, Dowling lattices are characterized by similar information about their flats of small rank. We apply our results to characterizations of affine geometries, partition lattices, and Dowling lattices by Tutte polynomials, and to matroid reconstruction. In particular, we show that any matroid with the same Tutte polynomial as a Dowling lattice is a Dowling lattice.     

Optimal pseudo-cyclic codes and caps in PG (3,q)

Existence and uniqueness of pseudo-cyclic [q ²+1,q ²–3, 4]-codes over GF(q) are proved. Elliptic quadrics are characterized as those (q ²+1)-caps in PG(3,q) whose corresponding [q ²+1,q ²–3, 4]-codes are pseudo-cyclic.     

Primitive polynomial with three coefficients prescribed

The authors proved in Fan and Han (Finite Field Appl., in press) that, for any given (a₁,a₂,a₃)F_q³, there exists a primitive polynomial f(x)=xⁿ−σ₁xⁿ⁻¹++(−1)ⁿσ_n over F_q of degree n with the first three coefficients σ₁,σ₂,σ₃ prescribed as a₁,a₂,a₃ when n8. But the methods in Fan and Han (in press) are not effective for the case of n=7. Mills (Existence of primitive polynomials with three coefficients prescribed, J. Algebra Number Theory Appl., in press) resolves the n=7 case for finite fields of characteristic at least 5. In this paper, we deal with the remaining cases and prove that there exists a primitive polynomial of degree 7 over F_q with the first three coefficient prescribed where the characteristic of F_q is 2 or 3.     

Generalized Veronesean embeddings of projective spaces

We classify all embeddings θ: PG(n, q) → PG(d, q), with $d \geqslant \tfrac{{n(n + 3)}} {2}$d \geqslant \tfrac{{n(n + 3)}} {2}, such that θ maps the set of points of each line to a set of coplanar points and such that the image of θ generates PG(d, q). It turns out that d = ?n(n+3) and all examples are related to the quadric Veronesean of PG(n, q) in PG(d, q) and its projections from subspaces of PG(d, q) generated by sub-Veroneseans (the point sets corresponding to subspaces of PG(n, q)). With an additional condition we generalize this result to the infinite case as well.     

A class of ((p n−p m)(p n−1), p n−p m)-arcs in PG(2, p n)

A (k, d)-arc in PG(2, q) is a set of k points such that some d, but no d+1, of them are collinear. An outstanding problem is to find the maximum value of k for which a (k, d)-arc exists. A construction is given for a class of (k, p ⁿ–p ^m)-arcs in PG(2, p ⁿ). These arcs constitute a lower bound on the maximum possible value of k, and a subset of them is shown to be optimal.