Partial ovoids and partial spreads in hermitian polar spaces

We present improved lower bounds on the sizes of small maximal partial ovoids in the classical hermitian polar spaces, and improved upper bounds on the sizes of large maximal partial spreads in the classical hermitian polar spaces. Of particular importance is the presented upper bound on the size of a maximal partial spread of H(3,q ²). For q = 2,3, the presented upper bound is sharp. For q = 3, our results confirm via theoretical arguments properties, deduced by computer searches performed by Ebert and Hirschfeld, for the largest partial spreads of H(3,9). An overview of the status regarding these results is given in two summarizing tables. The similar results for the classical symplectic and orthogonal polar spaces are presented in De Beule et al. [8].      

A spectrum result on maximal partial ovoids of the generalized quadrangle , even

This article presents a spectrum result on maximal partial ovoids of the generalized quadrangle Q(4,q), q even. We prove that for every integer k in an interval of, roughly, size [q²/10,9q²/10], there exists a maximal partial ovoid of size k on Q(4,q), q even. Since the generalized quadrangle W(q), q even, defined by a symplectic polarity of PG(3,q) is isomorphic to the generalized quadrangle Q(4,q), q even, the same result is obtained for maximal partial ovoids of W(q), q even. As equivalent results, the same spectrum result is obtained for minimal blocking sets with respect to planes of PG(3,q), q even, and for maximal partial 1-systems of lines on the Klein quadric Q⁺(5,q), q even.     

Commuting polarities and maximal partial ovoids of H(4,q2)

In PG(4,q²), q odd, let Q(4,q²) be a non‐singular quadric commuting with a non‐singular Hermitian variety H(4,q²). Then these varieties intersect in the set of points covered by the extended generators of a non‐singular quadric Q₀ in a Baer subgeometry Σ₀ of PG(4,q²). It is proved that any maximal partial ovoid of H(4,q²) intersecting Q₀ in an ovoid has size at least 2(q²+1). Further, given an ovoid O of Q₀, we construct maximal partial ovoids of H(4,q²) of size q³+1 whose set of points lies on the hyperbolic lines 〈P,X〉 where P is a fixed point of O and X varies in O\{P}. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 17: 307–313, 2009     

Partial Ovoids in Classical Finite Polar Spaces

Ovoids in finite polar spaces are related to many other objects in finite geometries. In this article, we prove some new upper bounds for the size of partial ovoids in Q ^–(2n+1,q) and W(2n+ 1,q). Further, we give a combinatorial proof for the non-existence of ovoids of H(2n +1,q ²) for n>q ³.     

Ovoidal blocking sets and maximal partial ovoids of Hermitian varieties

In Mazzocca et al. (Des. Codes Cryptogr. 44:97–113, 2007), large minimal blocking sets in PG(3, q ²) and PG(4, q ²) have been constructed starting from ovoids of PG(3, q), Q(4, q) and Q(6, q). Some of these can be embedded in a Hermitian variety as maximal partial ovoids. In this paper, the geometric conditions assuring these embeddings are established.     

Blocking sets and semifields

We find a relationship between semifield spreads of PG(3,q), small Rédei minimal blocking sets of PG(2,q²), disjoint from a Baer subline of a Rédei line, and translation ovoids of the hermitian surface H(3,q²).     

Ovoids and translation planes revisited

Kantor has previously described the translation planes which may be obtained by projecting sections of ovoids in ⁺(8, q)-spaces to ovoids in corresponding ⁺(6, q)-spaces. Since the Klein correspondence associates spreads in 4-dimensional vector spaces with ovoids in ⁺(6, q)-spaces, there are corresponding translation planes of order q ² and kernel containing GF(q). In this article, we revisit some of these translation planes and give some presentations of the spreads. Motivated by various properties of the planes, we study, in general, translation planes which admit certain homology groups and/or elation groups. In particular, we develop new constructions of projective planes of Lenz-Barlotti class II-1.Finally, we show how certain projective planes of order q ² of Lenz-Barlotti class II-1 may be considered equivalent to flocks of quadratic cones in PG(3, q).This work was partially supported by NSF grant DMS-8800843.     

On large maximal partial ovoids of the parabolic quadric Q(4, q)

We use the representation ${T_2(\mathcal{O})}$ for Q(4, q) to show that maximal partial ovoids of Q(4, q) of size q ² ? 1, q = p ^h , p an odd prime, h > 1, do not exist. Although this was known before, we give a slightly alternative proof, also resulting in more combinatorial information of the known examples for q an odd prime.     

The classical 1-system of Q?(7, q) and two-character sets

We will show that associated with the classical 1-system of the elliptic quadric Q ⁻(7, q) are certain infinite families of two-character sets with respect to hyperplanes, and partial ovoids of Q ⁺(15, q).     

On Maximal Partial Spreads in PG(n, q)

In this paper we construct maximal partial spreads in PG(3, q) which are a log q factor larger than the best known lower bound. For n ≥ 5 we also construct maximal partial spreads in PG(n, q) of each size between cnq ^{n ? 2} log q and c′ q ^{n ? 1}.     

Slices of the unitary spread

We prove that slices of the unitary spread of Q⁺(7,q)\mathcal{Q}^{+}(7,q), q≡2 (mod 3), can be partitioned into five disjoint classes. Slices belonging to different classes are non-equivalent under the action of the subgroup of PΓO ⁺(8,q) fixing the unitary spread. When q is even, there is a connection between spreads of Q⁺(7,q)\mathcal{Q}^{+}(7,q) and symplectic 2-spreads of PG(5,q) (see Dillon, Ph.D. thesis, 1974 and Dye, Ann. Mat. Pura Appl. (4) 114, 173–194, 1977). As a consequence of the above result we determine all the possible non-equivalent symplectic 2-spreads arising from the unitary spread of Q⁺(7,q)\mathcal{Q}^{+}(7,q), q=2^2h+1. Some of these already appeared in Kantor, SIAM J. Algebr. Discrete Methods 3(2), 151–165, 1982. When q=3 ^h , we classify, up to the action of the stabilizer in PΓO(7,q) of the unitary spread of Q(6,q), those among its slices producing spreads of the elliptic quadric Q^-(5,q)\mathcal{Q}^{-}(5,q).     

Some New Maximal Sets of Mutually Orthogonal Latin Squares

Two ways of constructing maximal sets of mutually orthogonal Latin squares are presented. The first construction uses maximal partial spreads in PG(3, 4) \ PG(3, 2) with r lines, where r ∈ {6, 7}, to construct transversal-free translation nets of order 16 and degree r + 3 and hence maximal sets of r + 1 mutually orthogonal Latin squares of order 16. Thus sets of t MAXMOLS(16) are obtained for two previously open cases, namely for t = 7 and t = 8. The second one uses the (non)existence of spreads and ovoids of hyperbolic quadrics Q ⁺ (2m + 1, q), and yields infinite classes of q ^{2n ? 1} ? 1 MAXMOLS(q ²ⁿ ), for n ≥ 2 and q a power of two, and for n = 2 and q a power of three.     

On the Spectrum of the Sizes of Maximal Partial Line Spreads in <Emphasis Type="Italic">PG</Emphasis>(2<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">q</Emphasis>), <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> ≥ 3

A lot of research has been done on the spectrum of the sizes of maximal partial spreads in PG(3,q) [P. Govaerts and L. Storme, Designs Codes and Cryptography, Vol. 28 (2003) pp. 51–63; O. Heden, Discrete Mathematics, Vol. 120 (1993) pp. 75–91; O. Heden, Discrete Mathematics, Vol. 142 (1995) pp. 97–106; O. Heden, Discrete Mathematics, Vol. 243 (2002) pp. 135–150]. In [A. Gács and T. Sznyi, Designs Codes and Cryptography, Vol. 29 (2003) pp. 123–129], results on the spectrum of the sizes of maximal partial line spreads in PG(N,q), N 5, are given. In PG(2n,q), n 3, the largest possible size for a partial line spread is q^2n-1+q^2n-3+...+q³+1. The largest size for the maximal partial line spreads constructed in [A. Gács and T. Sznyi, Designs Codes and Cryptography, Vol. 29 (2003) pp. 123–129] is (q²ⁿ⁺¹–q)/(q²–1)–q³+q²–2q+2. This shows that there is a non-empty interval of values of k for which it is still not known whether there exists a maximal partial line spread of size k in PG(2n,q). We now show that there indeed exists a maximal partial line spread of size k for every value of k in that interval when q 9.J. Eisfeld: Supported by the FWO Research Network WO.011.96NP. Sziklai: The research of this author was partially supported by OTKA D32817, F030737, F043772, FKFP 0063/2001 and Magyary Zoltan grants. The third author is grateful for the hospitality of Ghent University.     

Spreads and ovoids in finite generalized quadrangles

This paper is a survey on the existence and non-existence of ovoids and spreads in the known finite generalized quadrangles. It also contains the following new results. We prove that translation generalized quadrangles of order (s,s ²), satisfying certain properties, have a spread. This applies to three known infinite classes of translation generalized quadrangles. Further a new class of ovoids in the classical generalized quadranglesQ(4, 3 ^e ),e3, is constructed. Then, by the duality betweenQ(4, 3 ^e ) and the classical generalized quadrangleW (3 ^e ), we get line spreads of PG(3, 3 ^e ) and hence translation planes of order 3^2e . These planes appear to be new. Note also that only a few classes of ovoids ofQ(4,q) are known. Next we prove that each generalized quadrangle of order (q ²,q) arising from a flock of a quadratic cone has an ovoid. Finally, we give the following characterization of the classical generalized quadranglesQ(5,q): IfS is a generalized quadrangle of order (q,q ²),q even, having a subquadrangleS isomorphic toQ(4,q) and if inS each ovoid consisting of all points collinear with a given pointx ofS\S is an elliptic quadric, thenS is isomorphic toQ(5,q).     

A spectrum result on minimal blocking sets with respect to the planes of PG(3, q), q odd

This article presents a spectrum result on minimal blocking sets with respect to the planes of PG(3, q), q odd. We prove that for every integer k in an interval of, roughly, size [q ²/4, 3q ²/4], there exists such a minimal blocking set of size k in PG(3, q), q odd. A similar result on the spectrum of minimal blocking sets with respect to the planes of PG(3, q), q even, was presented in Rößing and Storme (Eur J Combin 31:349–361, 2010). Since minimal blocking sets with respect to the planes in PG(3, q) are tangency sets, they define maximal partial 1-systems on the Klein quadric Q ⁺(5, q), so we get the same spectrum result for maximal partial 1-systems of lines on the Klein quadric Q ⁺(5, q), q odd.     

A new upper bound for constant distance codes of generators on hermitian polar spaces of type H(2d − 1, q 2)

We provide new bounds for the maximum size of a set of generators of H(2d ? 1, q ²) which pairwise intersect in codimension i by applying a multiplicity bound by C. D. Godsil. This implies a new bound on the maximum size of partial spreads of H(2d ? 1, q ²), d even.     

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.     

Desarguesian and Unitary complete partial ovoids

The Desarguesian and Unitary ovoids of $\mathcal{Q}^{+}(7,q)$ are contained in a subvariety of the Grassmannian. We generalize this result, obtaining two families of complete partial ovoids of polar spaces: the first, with stabilizer PGL?(2,q ^t ) and including the family constructed by A. Cossidente and O.H. King for even q, and the second, with stabilizers contained in PGU?(r,q).     

Tight sets and m-ovoids of finite polar spaces

An intriguing set of points of a generalised quadrangle was introduced in [J. Bamberg, M. Law, T. Penttila, Tight sets and m-ovoids of generalised quadrangles, Combinatorica, in press] as a unification of the pre-existing notions of tight set and m-ovoid. It was shown in [J. Bamberg, M. Law, T. Penttila, Tight sets and m-ovoids of generalised quadrangles, Combinatorica, in press] that every intriguing set of points in a finite generalised quadrangle is a tight set or an m-ovoid (for some m). Moreover, it was shown that an m-ovoid and an i-tight set of a common generalised quadrangle intersect in mi points. These results yielded new proofs of old results, and in this paper, we study the natural analogue of intriguing sets in finite polar spaces of higher rank. In particular, we use the techniques developed in this paper to give an alternative proof of a result of Thas [J.A. Thas, Ovoids and spreads of finite classical polar spaces, Geom. Dedicata 10 (1-4) (1981) 135-143] that there are no ovoids of H(2r,q²), Q⁻(2r+1,q), and W(2r−1,q) for r>2. We also strengthen a result of Drudge on the non-existence of tight sets in W(2r−1,q), H(2r+1,q²), and Q⁺(2r+1,q), and we give a new proof of a result of De Winter, Luyckx, and Thas [S. De Winter, J.A. Thas, SPG-reguli satisfying the polar property and a new semipartial geometry, Des. Codes Cryptogr. 32 (1-3) (2004) 153-166; D. Luyckx, m-Systems of finite classical polar spaces, PhD thesis, The University of Ghent, 2002] that an m-system of W(4m+3,q) or Q⁻(4m+3,q) is a pseudo-ovoid of the ambient projective space.     

Intersections of Hermitian and Ree ovoids in the generalized hexagon H(q)

For q = 3^2h+1, h ≥ 0, we investigate the intersections of Hermitian and Ree ovoids of the generalized hexagon H(q). © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.