Note on the existence of large minimal blocking sets in galois planes

A subsetS of a finite projective plane of orderq is called a blocking set ifS meets every line but contains no line. For the size of an inclusion-minimal blocking setq+ +Sq +1 holds ([6]). Ifq is a square, then inPG(2,q) there are minimal blocking sets with cardinalityq +1. Ifq is not a square, then the various constructions known to the author yield minimal blocking sets with less than 3q points. In the present note we show that inPG(2,q),q1 (mod 4) there are minimal blocking sets having more thanqlog₂ q/2 points. The blocking sets constructed in this note contain the union ofk conics, whereklog₂ q/2. A slight modification of the construction works forq3 (mod 4) and gives the existence of minimal blocking sets of sizecqlog₂ q for some constantc.As a by-product we construct minimal blocking sets of cardinalityq +1, i.e. unitals, in Galois planes of square order. Since these unitals can be obtained as the union of parabolas, they are not classical.     

Commutator Subgroups of the Extended Hecke Groups \bar H(\lambda _q )

Hecke groups H(_q) are the discrete subgroups of generated by S(z) = –(z+ _q)^–1and T(z) = –1/z. The commutator subgroup of H(_q), denoted by H(_q), is studied in [2]. It was shown that H(_q) is a free group of rank q– 1.Here the extended Hecke groups obtained by adjoining to the generators of H(_q) are considered. The commutator subgroup of is shown to be a free product of two finite cyclic groups. Also it is interesting to note that while in the H(_q) case, the index of H(_q) is changed by q, in the case of this number is either 4 for qodd or 8 for qeven.     

Association Schemes of Quadratic Forms and Symmetric Bilinear Forms

Let X _n and Y _n be the sets of quadratic forms and symmetric bilinear forms on an n-dimensional vector space V over , respectively. The orbits of GL _n( ) on X _n × X _n define an association scheme Qua(n, q). The orbits of GL _n( ) on Y _n × Y _n also define an association scheme Sym(n, q). Our main results are: Qua(n, q) and Sym(n, q) are formally dual. When q is odd, Qua(n, q) and Sym(n, q) are isomorphic; Qua(n, q) and Sym(n, q) are primitive and self-dual. Next we assume that q is even. Qua(n, q) is imprimitive; when (n, q) (2,2), all subschemes of Qua(n, q) are trivial, i.e., of class one, and the quotient scheme is isomorphic to Alt(n, q), the association scheme of alternating forms on V. The dual statements hold for Sym(n, q).     

On The Sum of Digits Function for Number Systems with Negative Bases

Let q 2 be an integer. Then –q gives rise to a number system in , i.e., each number n has a unique representation of the form n = c ₀ + c ₁ (–q) + ... + c _h (–q) ^h , with c _i {0,..., q – 1}(0 i h). The aim of this paper is to investigate the sum of digits function _–q (n) of these number systems. In particular, we derive an asymptotic expansion for

Triads, Flocks of Conics and Q -(5,q)

We show that if an ovoid of Q (4,q),q even, admits a flock of conics then that flock must be linear. It follows that an ovoid of PG (3,q),q even, which admits a flock of conics must be an elliptic quadric. This latter result is used to give a characterisation of the classical example Q ^-(5,q) among the generalized quadrangles T ₃( ), where is an ovoid of PG (3q) and q is even, in terms of the geometric configuration of the centres of certain triads.     

Tubes of even order and flat π.C 2 geometries

Atube of even orderq=2 ^d is a setT={L, } ofq+3 pairwise skew lines in PG(3,q) such that every plane onL meets the lines of in a hyperoval. Thequadric tube is obtained as follows. Take a hyperbolic quadricQ=Q ₃ ⁺ (q) in PG(3,q); letL be an exterior line, and let consist of the polar line ofL together with a regulus onQ.In this paper we show the existence of tubes of even order other than the quadric one, and we prove that the subgroup of PL(4,q) fixing a tube {L, } cannot act transitively on . As pointed out by a construction due to Pasini, this implies new results for the existence of flat .C ₂ geometries whoseC ₂-residues are nonclassical generalized quadrangles different from nets. We also give the results of some computations on the existence and uniqueness of tubes in PG(3,q) for smallq. Further, we define tubes for oddq (replacing hyperoval by conic in the definition), and consider briefly a related extremal problem.Dedicated to luigi antonio rosati on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

Linear Widths of the Besov Classes of Periodic Functions of Many Variables. I

We obtain order estimates for linear widths of the Besov classes of periodic functions of many variables in the space L _q for certain values of the parameters p and q.     

Lattices of dominions in quasivarieties of Abelian groups

Let M be any quasivariety of Abelian groups, (H) be the dominion of a subgroup H of a group G in M, and L_q(M) be the lattice of subquasivarieties of M. It is proved that (H ) coincides with a least normal subgroup of the group G containing H, the factor group with respect to which is in M. Conditions are specified subject to which the set L(G,H,M) = { (H) | N L_q(M)} forms a lattice under set-theoretic inclusion and the map : L_q(M) L(G,H,M) such that (N) = (H) for any quasivariety N L_q(M)is an antihomomorphism of the lattice L _q (M) onto the lattice L(G, H, M).__________Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 238–251, March–April, 2005.     

Degenerate Principal Series Representations of U(p, q) and Spin0(p, q)

Let p>q and let G be the group U(p, q) or Spin₀(p, q). Let P=LN be the maximal parabolic subgroup of G with Levi subgroup where

Multiplicative posets

A functionf from the posetP to the posetQ is a strict morphism if for allx, y P withx we havef(x). If there is such a strict morphism fromP toQ we writeP Q, otherwise we writeP Q. We say a posetM is multiplicative if for any posetsP, Q withP M andQ M we haveP ×Q M. (Here (p ₁,q ₁)<(p ₂,q ₂) if and only ifp ₁<p ₂ andq ₁<q ₂.) This paper proves that well-founded trees with height are multiplicative posets.This research was supported in part by NSERC Grant #69-1325.     

On the number of rational points of a plane algebraic curve

The number of F_q -rational points of a plane non-singular algebraic curve defined over a finite field F_q is computed, provided that the generic point of is not an inflexion and that is Frobenius non-classical with respect to conics. Received: 18 March 2003     

The closed ideal of (c o ,p,q)-summing operators

For 1/p+1/q1, we study the closed ideal formed by the (c _o ,p,q)-summing operators. It turns out thatT:XY does not belong to if and only if it factors the mapId:l _p ^*l _q . By localization, we get the ideal that consists of those operatorsT for which all ultrapowersT ^u are contained in . Operators in the complement of are characterized by the property that they factor the mapsId:l _p ^*n l _q ⁿ uniformly. Our main tools are ideal norms.Supported by DFG grant PI 322/1-2     

On Estimates of the Kolmogorov Widths of the Classes $$B_{p,q}^r$$ in the Space Lq

We obtain an order estimate for the Kolmogorov width of the Besov classes of periodic functions of many variables in the space L _q for 2 < p < q < , which complements the result obtained earlier by the author.     

Character Formulas for q-Rook Monoid Algebras

The q-rook monoid R _n(q) is a semisimple (q)-algebra that specializes when q 1 to [R _n], where R _n is the monoid of n × n matrices with entries from {0, 1} and at most one nonzero entry in each row and column. We use a Schur-Weyl duality between R _n(q) and the quantum general linear group to compute a Frobenius formula, in the ring of symmetric functions, for the irreducible characters of R _n(q). We then derive a recursive Murnaghan-Nakayama rule for these characters, and we use Robinson-Schensted-Knuth insertion to derive a Roichman rule for these characters. We also define a class of standard elements on which it is sufficient to compute characters. The results for R _n(q) specialize when q = 1 to analogous results for R _n.     

Results on Maximal Partial Spreads in PG(3, p 3) and on Related Minihypers

This article classifies all {(q + 1), 3, q}-minihypers, small, q = p ^h ₀, h 1, for a prime number p ₀ 7, which arise from a maximal partial spread of deficiency . When q is a third power, the minihyper is the disjoint union of projected PG(5, )'s; when q is a square, also Baer subgeometries PG(3, ) can occur. This leads to a discrete spectrum for the small values of the deficiency of the corresponding maximal partial spreads.     

On Subfields of the Hermitian Function Field

The Hermitian function field H= K(x,y) is defined by the equationy ^q+ y=x ^q+1(q being a powerof the characteristic of K). OverK= q ² it is a maximalfunction field; i.e. the numberN(H)of q²-rationalplaces attains the Hasse--Weil upper boundN(H)=q ²+1+2g(H)·q.All subfields K EHare also maximal.In this paper we construct a large number of nonrational subfields EH, by considering the fixed fieldsH under certaingroups type="Italic">g0 that occur as the genus of some maximal function field over q ².     

Trigonometric Widths of the Classes B p,θ Ω of Periodic Functions of Many Variables

We obtain exact order estimates for the trigonometric widths of the classes of periodic functions of many variables in the space L _q, 1 < p 2 q < p/(p – 1).