Derived semifield planes with affine elations

Derived semifield planes admitting non trivial affine elations with more than one centre are examined in detail and several new examples of such plantes are constructed. A new characterization of the Hall planes of even order among derived semifield planes is also given.Research partially supported by G.N.S.A.G.A. (C.N.R.)     

Fractional dimensions in semifields of odd order

A finite semifield D is considered a fractional dimensional semifield if it contains a subsemifield E such that λ := log_|E||D| is not an integer. We develop spread-theoretic tools to determine when finite planes admit coordinatization by fractional semifields, and to find such semifields when they exist. We use our results to show that such semifields exist for prime powers 3 ⁿ whenever n is an odd integer divisible by 5 or 7.     

Arcs in Minkowski planes

The aim of this paper is to study some properties of k-arcs in Minkowski planes focalizing the attention on problems of existence and completness.Work done under the auspicies of G.N.S.A.G.A. supported by 40% grants of M.U.R.S.T.In memoriam Giuseppe Tallini     

On a generalization of cyclic semifields

A new construction is given of cyclic semifields of orders q ²ⁿ , n odd, with kernel (left nucleus) and right and middle nuclei isomorphic to , and the isotopism classes are determined. Furthermore, this construction is generalized to produce potentially new semifields of the same general type that are not isotopic to cyclic semifields. In particular, a new semifield plane of order 4⁵ and new semifield planes of order 16⁵ are constructed by this method.     

A new semifield of order 2

In [G. Lunardon, Semifields and linear sets of PG(1,q^t), Quad. Mat., Dept. Math., Seconda Univ. Napoli, Caserta (in press)], G. Lunardon has exhibited a construction method yielding a theoretical family of semifields of order q²ⁿ,n>1 and n odd, with left nucleus F_qⁿ, middle and right nuclei both F_q² and center F_q. When n=3 this method gives an alternative construction of a family of semifields described in [N.L. Johnson, G. Marino, O. Polverino, R. Trombetti, On a generalization of cyclic semifields, J. Algebraic Combin. 26 (2009), 1-34], which generalizes the family of cyclic semifields obtained by Jha and Johnson in [V. Jha, N.L. Johnson, Translation planes of large dimension admitting non-solvable groups, J. Geom. 45 (1992), 87-104]. For n>3, no example of a semifield belonging to this family is known.In this paper we first prove that, when n>3, any semifield belonging to the family introduced in the second work cited above is not isotopic to any semifield of the family constructed in the former. Then we construct, with the aid of a computer, a semifield of order 2¹⁰ belonging to the family introduced by Lunardon, which turns out to be non-isotopic to any other known semifield.     

Symplectic semifield planes and -linear codes

There are lovely connections between certain characteristic 2 semifields and their associated translation planes and orthogonal spreads on the one hand, and -linear Kerdock and Preparata codes on the other. These inter-relationships lead to the construction of large numbers of objects of each type. In the geometric context we construct and study large numbers of nonisomorphic affine planes coordinatized by semifields; or, equivalently, large numbers of non-isotopic semifields: their numbers are not bounded above by any polynomial in the order of the plane. In the coding theory context we construct and study large numbers of -linear Kerdock and Preparata codes. All of these are obtained using large numbers of orthogonal spreads of orthogonal spaces of maximal Witt index over finite fields of characteristic 2.

We also obtain large numbers of ``boring' affine planes in the sense that the full collineation group fixes the line at infinity pointwise, as well as large numbers of Kerdock codes ``boring' in the sense that each has as small an automorphism group as possible.

The connection with affine planes is a crucial tool used to prove inequivalence theorems concerning the orthogonal spreads and associated codes, and also to determine their full automorphism groups.

     

Semifield planes of order p 4 and kernel GF(p 2)

In this article we determine the number of non-isomorphic semifield planes of order p⁴ and kernel GF(p²) for p prime, 3 ≤ p ≤ 11. We show that for each of these values of p, the plane is either desarguesian, p-primitive, or a generalized twisted field plane. We also show that the class of p-primitive planes is the largest. We also discuss the autotopism group of the semifields under study.     

A note on the Boerner-lantz semifield planes

We determine the number of nonisomorphic semifield planes of order p⁴ associated to the Boerner-Lantz semifields.     

Albert's Construction for Semifields of Even Order

Albert's construction for commutative semifields of order 2 ⁿ , n odd, is presented. It avoids the construction of a presemifield and, in the case that n is prime, allows us to determine automorphism groups and the isomorphism classes. If n is a prime greater than three, the semifields are strictly not associative. These semifields are new for all n greater than three, differing from the binary semifields in that each admits only the trivial automorphism.

The authors present an explicit construction of an isotope of the 2⁵-element semifield that contains a subsemifield of order 2².     

Characterization of three types of planar spaces with invisible planes

In this paper we characterize a class of finite planar spaces whose planes have two sizes.Dedicato alla memoria dell'amico e Maestro Giuseppe TalliniWork supported by G.N.S.A.G.A. of C.N.R. and the projects M.U.R.S.T. 40 %     

Weakly Regular and Regular sets in Minkowski planes

A Regular (respectively Weakly Regular) set for an incidence structure Q is a set of points such that the identity is the only automorphism of Q which maps onto itself (respectively which fixes pointwise). In this work Weakly Regular and Regular sets in Minkowski planes are investigated.Work done within the activity of G.N.S.A.G.A. of C.N.R. and supported by 40 % grants of M.U.R.S.T.G.Rinaldi thanks Fondazione Francesco Severi and Banca Popolare dell'Etruria e del Lazio for the prize which allowed this research.     

Moduli spaces of local systems and higher Teichmüller theory

Let G be a split semisimple algebraic group over Q with trivial center. Let S be a compact oriented surface, with or without boundary. We define positive representations of the fundamental group of S to G(R), construct explicitly all positive representations, and prove that they are faithful, discrete, and positive hyperbolic; the moduli space of positive representations is a topologically trivial open domain in the space of all representations. When S have holes, we defined two moduli spaces closely related to the moduli spaces of G-local systems on S. We show that they carry a lot of interesting structures. In particular we define a distinguished collection of coordinate systems, equivariant under the action of the mapping class group of S. We prove that their transition functions are subtraction free. Thus we have positive structures on these moduli spaces. Therefore we can take their points with values in any positive semifield. Their positive real points provide the two higher Teichmüller spaces related to G and S, while the points with values in the tropical semifields provide the lamination spaces. We define the motivic avatar of the Weil–Petersson form for one of these spaces. It is related to the motivic dilogarithm.     

On finite {1,2,3}-semiaffine planes

In this paper, we investigate {1,2,3}-semiaffine planes. All such planes of order n >51 shall be classified. It turns out that they are embeddable into projective planes of the same order n in the most natural way.Work supported by National Research Project on Strutture Geometriche Combinatoria, loro applicazioni of Italian M.P.I. and G.N.S.A.G.A. of C.N.R.     

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.     

Semifields and their properties

An introduction to the theory of semifields is included in the first part of the article: basic concepts, initial properties, and several methods of investigating semifields are examined. Semifields with a generator, in particular bounded semifields, are considered. Elements of the theory of kernels of semifields are also included in the paper: the structure of principal kernels; the kernel generated by the element 2 = 1 +1; indecomposable and maximal spectra of semifields; properties of the lattice of kernels of a semifield. A fragment of arp-semiring theory, which is the basis of a new method in semifield theory, is also included in the first part. The second part of the work is devoted to sheaves of semifields and functional representations of semifields. Properties of semifields of sections of semifield sheaves over a zero-dimensional compact are described. Two structural sheaves of semifields, which are the analogs of Pierce and Lambek sheaves for rings, are constructed. These sheaves give isomorphic functional representations of arbitrary, strongly Gelfand, and biregular semifields. As a result, sheaf characterizations of strongly Gelfand, biregular, and Boolean semifields are obtained.     

Sottopiani di Baer di un piano di MoufangT e non derivabilità diT

Riassunto è noto che il problema della derivabilità di un piano proiettivo nel senso di Ostrom, è strettamente legato alla esistenza di sottopiani di Baer. Il proposito di questa nota, è quello di risolvere la questione della derivabilità dei piani di Moufang, ossia di tutti quei piani di traslazione coordinatizzati da anelli di divisione alternativi propri. Dopo aver richiamato la rappresentazione di Andrè di un piano di MoufangP, vengono caratterizzati i sottopiani di Baer diP, come le sottostrutture diP coordinatizzate da sottoalgebre di quaternioni dell'anello di divisione alternativo diP. Si dimostra quindi cheP non è derivabile.

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Summary It is known that the problem of derivability of a projective plane in the sense of Pstrom, is closely linked with the existence of the Baer subplanes. The end of this note is to solvo the question of the derivability of the Moufang planes, that is the translation planes coordinatized by the alternative division rings. At first we recall the Andrè representation of a Moufang planeP, then the Baer subplanes ofP are characterized as the substructures ofP coordinatized by the quaternions subalgebras of the alternative division ring coordinatizingP. Then we prove thatP is not derivable.

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Lavoro eseguito nell'ambito dei programmi di ricerca del G.N.S.A.G.A. durante il periodo di godimento di una borsa di addestramento del C.N.R.     

Automorphisms of (B)-geometries

(B)-Geometries are incidence structures arising from permutation sets. The present paper studies the automorphism groups of (B)-Geometries. In certain cases these automorphisms yield examples of inversive planes and of subplanes which are embedded in Minkowski planes (chapter 2). In chapter 3 we describe the automorphism groups of the (B)-Geometries arising from the groups PL(2, pⁿ) and AL(1, pⁿ) in their natural representations on the points of the projective and affine line.Dedicated to Prof.Dr. Walter Benz on his 60th birthdayWork done within the activity of G.N.S.A.G.A. of C.N.R. and supported by the 40% grants of M.U.R.S.T.