Conic blocking sets in Desarguesian projective planes

Define a conic blocking set to be a set of lines in a Desarguesian projective plane such that all conics meet these lines. Conic blocking sets can be used in determining if a collection of planes in projective three-space forms a flock of a quadratic cone. We discuss trivial conic blocking sets and conic blocking sets in planes of small order. We provide a construction for conic blocking sets in planes of non-prime order, and we make additional comments about the structure of these conic blocking sets in certain planes of even order.     

LDPC codes generated by conics in the classical projective plane

We construct various classes of low-density parity-check codes using point-line incidence structures in the classical projective plane PG(2,q). Each incidence structure is based on the various classes of points and lines created by the geometry of a conic in the plane. For each class, we prove various properties about dimension and minimum distance. Some arguments involve the geometry of two conics in the plane. As a result, we prove, under mild conditions, the existence of two conics, one entirely internal or external to the other. We conclude with some simulation data to exhibit the effectiveness of our codes.     

Conics in finite projective planes

There does not exist a general theory of conics in finite projective planes, because the many definitions of conics which are equivalent in desarguesian projective planes yield different types of conics in more general situations. Thus even the use of the word conic can lead to confusion, particularly in the finite case. This note is an attempt to clarify these various definitions and give as an example in a finite projective plane a von Staudt conic which is not an Ostrom conic. We conjecture that any finite projective plane admitting an Ostrom conic must be desarguesian.     

Conics in the hyperbolic plane intrinsic to the collineation group

In the manner of Steiner??s interpretation of conics in the projective plane we consider a conic in a planar incidence geometry to be a pair consisting of a point and a collineation that does not fix that point. We say these loci are intrinsic to the collineation group because their construction does not depend on an imbedding into a larger space. Using an inversive model we classify the intrinsic conics in the hyperbolic plane in terms of invariants of the collineations that afford them and provide metric characterizations for each congruence class. By contrast, classifications that catalogue all projective conics intersecting a specified hyperbolic domain necessarily include curves which cannot be afforded by a hyperbolic collineation in the above sense. The metric properties we derive will distinguish the intrinsic classes in relation to these larger projective categories. Our classification emphasizes a natural duality among congruence classes induced by an involution based on complementary angles of parallelism relative to the focal axis of each conic, which we refer to as split inversion (Definition 5.3).     

Affine-Invariant Distances, Envelopes and Symmetry Sets

Affine invariant symmetry sets of planar curves are introduced and studied in this paper. Two different approaches are investigated. The first one is based on affine invariant distances, and defines the symmetry set as the closure of the locus of points on (at least) two affine normals and affine-equidistant from the corresponding points on the curve. The second approach is based on affine bitangent conics. In this case the symmetry set is defined as the closure of the locus of centers of conics with (at least) 3-point contact with the curve at two or more distinct points on the curve. This is equivalent to conic and curve having, at those points, the same affine tangent, or the same Euclidean tangent and curvature. Although the two analogous definitions for the classical Euclidean symmetry set are equivalent, this is not the case for the affine group. We present a number of properties of both affine symmetry sets, showing their similarities with and differences from the Euclidean case. We conclude the paper with a discussion of possible extensions to higher dimensions and other transformation groups, as well as to invariant Voronoi diagrams.     

On the jumping conics of a semistable rank two vector bundle on P2

Stromme (see [S], (1.7)) introduced the notion of jumping conic of a normalized semistable rank two vector bundle E on ℙ² and he remarked that the locus of jumping conics of E has codimension ≤3+2c₁(E), with equality for general E. Here we introduce a concept of jumping conic of a semistable rank two vector bundle on ℙ² (see (I.1)) by generalizing the notion of jumping line of the second kind introduced by Hulek in [H]. Our definition agrees with Stromme's for c₁=−1, but not for c₁=0. In contrast with the case of jumping lines, where we have a different behaviour in the case c₁ even or c₁ odd, the set of jumping conics according to our definition is always a divisor (possibly empty) in the ℙ⁵ of all conics of ℙ² (see th. (I.8)), whose degree depends on c₂(E).     

Planar curve interpolation by piecewise conics of arbitrary type

Five points in general position inR ² always lie on a unique conic, and three points plus two tangents also have a unique interpolating conic, the type of which depends on the data. These well-known facts from projective geometry are generalized: an odd number 2n+1≥5 of points inR ², if they can be interpolated at all by a smooth curve with nonvanishing curvature, will have a uniqueGC ² interpolant consisting of pieces of conics of varying type. This interpolation process reproduces conics of arbitrary type and preserves strict convexity. Under weak additional assumptions its approximation order is ?(h ⁵), whereh is the maximal distance of adjacent data pointsf(t _i ) sampled from a smooth and regular planar curvef with nonvanishing curvature. Two algorithms for the construction of the interpolant are suggested, and some examples are presented.     

Sketching the general quadratic equation using dynamic geometry software

This paper explores a geometrical way to sketch graphs of the general quadratic in two variables with Geometer's Sketchpad. To do this, a geometric procedure as described by De Temple is used, bearing in mind that this general quadratic equation (1) represents all the possible conics (conics sections), and the fact that five points (no three of which are collinear) uniquely determine a conic.     

A remarkable configuration: A generalization of computergenerated results by S.-C. Chou and its connection with a plane figure by A. Emch

The paper's starting point are four theorems on conics which can be found in a collection of computer proved results by C.-S. Chou from 1987. It not only contains a generalization of two of Chou's results but also a plane figure consisting of points, lines and conics. A suitable notation will reveal a striking symmetry of this figure. Moreover, it turns out that a plane figure from 1940 found by A. Emch using algebraic methods is very similar to ours, which we obtained synthetically. As an application in finite geometry we have gone some way towards regarding our figure as a real projective model of the finite projective plane of order 4.Dedicated to Dr. J. F. Rigby on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Zur Kennzeichnung von Quadriken unter den Kegelschnittflächen

A surface, generated by a one-parameter family of conics in projective 3-space, such that the tangent planes along a generating conic form a quadric cone, is called a surface of Blutel [1]. The surface is said to be of hyperbolic type, if the characteristic line of the plane of a generating conic intersects it in two different real points s₁, s₂. Formerly [5] it was shown that such a surface must be a quadric if it is unbranched along the curves, generated by s₁, s₂, these points not being stationary. In the present paper analogous results are established in the remaining cases when one or both points s₁, s₂ are fixed.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. K. Strubecker zum 80. Geburtstag gewidmet     

Die zweifachen Blutelschen Kegelschnittflächen

A surface in projective space generated by a one parameter family of conics is called a conic surface of Blutel if the tangent planes of taken along a generating conic, envelop a quadratic cone. If the conjugate curves (with respect to the generating conics) are conics, too, we call a two-fold Blutel's conic surface. In an earlier paper [4] it was shown that the planes of both conic families, the generating and the conjugate one, belong to a pencil, each. The present paper completes these investigations by integrating the derivative equations (3), (8), (9), (10). As a final result, a complete classification of all these surfaces is given. They are all algebraic of at most fourth order and furthermore—besides the quadrics and certain degenerate cases—they are complex projectively equivalent to the cyclides of Dupin.     

Line partitions of internal points to a conic in <Emphasis Type="Italic">PG</Emphasis>(2,<Emphasis Type="Italic">q</Emphasis>)

All sets of lines providing a partition of the set of internal points to a conic C in PG(2,q), q odd, are determined. There exist only three such linesets up to projectivities, namely the set of all non-tangent lines to C through an external point to C, the set of all non-tangent lines to C through a point in C, and, for square q, the set of all non-tangent lines to C belonging to a Baer subplane PG(2,√q) with √q+1 common points with C. This classification theorem is the analogous of a classical result by Segre and Korchmáros [9] characterizing the pencil of lines through an internal point to C as the unique set of lines, up to projectivities, which provides a partition of the set of all non-internal points to C. However, the proof is not analogous, since it does not rely on the famous Lemma of Tangents of Segre which was the main ingredient in [9]. The main tools in the present paper are certain partitions in conics of the set of all internal points to C, together with some recent combinatorial characterizations of blocking sets of non-secant lines, see [2], and of blocking sets of external lines, see [1].     

A very simple proof of Pascal’s hexagon theorem and some applications

In this article we present a simple and elegant algebraic proof of Pascal’s hexagon theorem which requires only knowledge of basics on conic sections without theory of projective transformations. Also, we provide an efficient algorithm for finding an equation of the conic containing five given points and a criterion for verification whether a set of points is a subset of the conic.     

Necessary and sufficient conditions for rational quartic representation of conic sections

Conic section is one of the geometric elements most commonly used for shape expression and mechanical accessory cartography. A rational quadratic Bézier curve is just a conic section. It cannot represent an elliptic segment whose center angle is not less than π$\pi$. However, conics represented in rational quartic format when compared to rational quadratic format, enjoy better properties such as being able to represent conics up to 2π$2\pi$ (but not including 2π$2\pi$) without resorting to negative weights and possessing better parameterization. Therefore, it is actually worth studying the necessary and sufficient conditions for the rational quartic Bézier representation of conics. This paper attributes the rational quartic conic sections to two special kinds, that is, degree-reducible and improperly parameterized; on this basis, the necessary and sufficient conditions for the rational quartic Bézier representation of conics are derived. They are divided into two parts: Bézier control points and weights. These conditions can be used to judge whether a rational quartic Bézier curve is a conic section; or for a given conic section, present positions of the control points and values of the weights of the conic section in form of a rational quartic Bézier curve. Many examples are given to show the use of our results.     

Normisomorphismen und Normkurven endlichdimensionaler projektiver Desargues-Räume

In a finite dimensional desarguesian projective space the set of all points of intersection of homologous lines of two projective bundles of lines is called a non-degenerated (n. d.) normal curve, if the projective isomorphism is nondegenerated. Every frame determines a n. d. projective isomorphism of two bundles of lines called a normal isomorphism; every n. d. projective isomorphism of two bundles of lines is a normal isomorphism. A definition of osculating subspaces of a normal isomorphism is given and we show how the osculating subspaces can be constructed by using linear mappings. Simple examples show that there may be collineations fixing a n. d. normal curve but not fixing the osculating subspaces of the associated normal isomorphism. The set of osculating hyperplanes of a normal isomorphism is a n. d. normal curve in the dual space if and only if a certain number-theoretical condition holds.

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Herrn emer.O. Univ.-Prof. Dr. J. Krames zum 85. Geburtstag gewidmet     

A sylvester theorem for conic sections

If S is a finite set of points in the plane and no conic contains all points of S, then S determines a conic which contains exactly five points ofS.     

Cremona transformations and the conundrum of dimensionality and signature of macro-spacetime

The issue of dimensionality and signature of the observed universe is analysed. Neither of the two properties follows from first principles of physics, save for a remarkably fruitful Cantorian fractal spacetime approach pursued by El Naschie, Nottale and Ord. In the present paper, the author's theory of pencil-generated spacetime(s) is invoked to provide a clue. This theory identifies spatial coordinates with pencils of lines and the time dimension with a specific pencil of conics. Already its primitive form, where all pencils lie in one and the same projective plane, implies an intricate connection between the observed multiplicity of spatial coordinates and the (very) existence of the arrow of time. A qualitatively new insight into the matter is acquired, if these pencils are not constrained to be coplanar and are identified with the pencils of fundamental elements of a Cremona transformation in a projective space. The correct dimensionality of space (3) and time (1) is found to be uniquely tied to the so-called quadro-cubic Cremona transformations – the simplest non-trivial, non-symmetrical Cremona transformations in a projective space of three dimensions. Moreover, these transformations also uniquely specify the type of a pencil of fundamental conics, i.e. the global structure of the time dimension. Some physical and psychological implications of these findings are mentioned, and a relationship with the Cantorian model is briefly discussed.     

Sylvester–Gallai Theorems for Complex Numbers and Quaternions

A Sylvester-Gallai (SG) configuration is a finite set S of points such that the line through any two points in S contains a third point of S. According to the Sylvester-Gallai theorem, an SG configuration in real projective space must be collinear. A problem of Serre (1966) asks whether an SG configuration in a complex projective space must be coplanar. This was proved by Kelly (1986) using a deep inequality of Hirzebruch. We give an elementary proof of this result, and then extend it to show that an SG configuration in projective space over the quaternions must be contained in a three-dimensional flat.     

On Conics that are Ovals in a Hall Plane

The conics of a finite Desarguesian plane of square even order satisfying the following properties are classified. (1) Their two infinite points (one being the nucleus) do not intersect a certain derivation set. (2) They are also ovals in the Hall plane constructed from the derivation set. This leads to a construction of ovals from conics in certain subregular planes of even order (which are translation planes of dimension 2 over their kernel).