A characterization of the family of lines external to a hyperbolic quadric of PG (3, q)

In this paper we characterize the family of external lines to a hyperbolic quadric of PG (3, q).     

Blocking sets of nonsecant lines to a conic in PG(2,q), q odd

In a previous paper 1 , all point sets of minimum size in PG(2,q), blocking all external lines to a given irreducible conic , have been determined for every odd q. Here we obtain a similar classification for those point sets of minimum size, which meet every external and tangent line to . © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A characterization of Buekenhout-Metz unitals in PG(2, q 2), q even

The known examples of embedded unitals (i.e. Hermitian arcs) in PG(2, q ²) are B-unitals, i.e. they can be obtained from ovoids of PG(3, q) by a method due to Buekenhout. B-unitals arising from elliptic quadrics are called BM-unitals. Recently, BM-unitals have been classified and their collineation groups have been investigated. A new characterization is given in this paper. We also compute the linear collineation group fixing the B-unital arising from the Segre-Tits ovoid of PG(3, 2 ^r ), r3 odd. It turns out that this group is an Abelian group of order q ².Research supported by MURST.     

Ovoids of PG(3,q), q Even, with a Conic Section

It is shown that if a plane of PG(3,q), q even, meets an ovoidin a conic, then the ovoid must be an elliptic quadric. Thisis proved by using the generalized quadrangles T₂(C) (C a conic),W(q) and the isomorphism between them to show that every secantplane section of the ovoid must be a conic. The result thenfollows from a well-known theorem of Barlotti.     

Proper 2-Covers of PG(3,q), q Even

A k-cover of =PG(3q) is a set S of lines of such that every point is on exactly k lines of S. S is proper if it contains no spread. The existence of proper k-covers of is necessary for the existence of maximal partial packings of q ²+q+1–k spreads of . Here we give the first construction of proper 2-packings of PG(3,q) with q even; for q odd these have been constructed by Ebert.     

A Characterization of the Complement of a Hyperbolic Quadric in PG (3, q), for q Odd

The incidence structure NQ⁺(3, q) has points the points not on a non-degenerate hyperbolic quadric Q⁺(3, q) in PG(3, q), and its lines are the lines of PG(3, q) not containing a point of Q⁺(3, q). It is easy to show that NQ⁺(3, q) is a partial linear space of order (q, q(q−1)/2). If q is odd, then moreover NQ⁺(3, q) satisfies the property that for each non-incident point line pair (x,L), there are either (q−1)/2 or (q+1)/2 points incident with L that are collinear with x. A partial linear space of order (s, t) satisfying this property is called a ((q−1)/2,(q+1)/2)-geometry. In this paper, we will prove the following characterization of NQ⁺(3,q). Let S be a ((q−1)/2,(q+1)/2)-geometry fully embedded in PG(n, q), for q odd and q>3. Then S = NQ⁺(3, q).     

On a set of lines of PG(3, q) corresponding to a maximal cap contained in the Klein quadric of PG (5, q)

The problem is considered of constructing a maximal set of lines, with no three in a pencil, in the finite projective geometry PG(3, q) of three dimensions over GF(q). (A pencil is the set of q+1 lines in a plane and passing through a point.) It is found that an orbit of lines of a Singer cycle of PG(3, q) gives a set of size q ³ + q ² + q + 1 which is definitely maximal in the case of q odd. A (q ³ + q ² + q + 1)-cap contained in the hyperbolic (or Klein) quadric of PG(5, q) also comes from the construction. (A k-cap is a set of k points with no three in a line.) This is generalized to give direct constructions of caps in quadrics in PG(5, q). For q odd and greater than 3 these appear to be the largest caps known in PG(5, q). In particular it is shown how to construct directly a large cap contained in the Klein quadric, given an ovoid skew to an elliptic quadric of PG(3, q). Sometimes the cap is also contained in an elliptic quadric of PG(5, q) and this leads to a set of q ³ + q ² + q + 1 lines of PG(3,q ²) contained in the non-singular Hermitian surface such that no three lines pass through a point. These constructions can often be applied to real and complex spaces.     

Caps in PG(n,q),q even,n⩾3

Letm′₂(3,q) be the largest value ofk(k<q ²+1) for which there exists a completek-cap in PG(3,q),q even. In this paper, the known upper bound onm′₂(3,q) is improved. We also describe a number of intervals, fork, for which there does not exist a completek-cap in PG(3,q),q even. These results are then used to improve the known upper bounds on the number of points of a cap in PG(n, q),q even,n?4.     

An infinite family of type (m,n) sets in PG(2,q2), q a square

A k-set of type (m,n), with k=(q+√q+1)(q²?q+1), m= 1+√q, n=q+√q+1, is proved to exist in a Galois plane PG(2,q²), q a square, and its construction is given. Thus, its complement, i.e. a ((q?√q)(q+√q+1)(q²?q+1); √q(q√q?√q?1),√q(q √q?1))-set, exists too. The special case q=16 is considered and the points of a (91;3,7)-set in PG(2,16) are exhibited. A generalization is given.     

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 characterization of exterior lines of certain sets of points in PG (2, q)

Let A and B be disjoint sets of points in PG(2, q) the Desarguesian projective plane of order q, with |A|q, |B|=q+1, such that each line through a point of A meets B (just once). Then B is a line.     

A condition for the existence of ovals in PG(2, q), q even

A condition is found that determines whether a polynomial over GF(q) gives an oval in PG(2, q), q even. This shows that the set of all ovals of PG(2, q) corresponds to a certain variety of points of PG((q–4)/2, q). The condition improves upon that of Segre and Bartocci, who proved that all the terms of an oval polynomial have even degree. It is suitable for efficient computer searches.     

Small complete caps in PG(N,q), q even

A new family of small complete caps in PG(N,q), q even, is constructed. Apart from small values of either N or q, it provides an improvement on the currently known upper bounds on the size of the smallest complete cap in PG(N,q): for N even, the leading term is replaced by with , for N odd the leading term is replaced by with . © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 15: 420–436, 2007