On sizes of complete caps in projective spaces PG(n, q) and arcs in planes PG(2, q)

More than thirty new upper bounds on the smallest size t ₂(2, q) of a complete arc in the plane PG(2, q) are obtained for (169 ≤ q ≤ 839. New upper bounds on the smallest size t ₂(n, q) of the complete cap in the space PG(n, q) are given for n = 3 and 25 ≤ q ≤ 97, q odd; n = 4 and q = 7, 8, 11, 13, 17; n = 5 and q = 5, 7, 8, 9; n = 6 and q = 4, 8. The bounds are obtained by computer search for new small complete arcs and caps. New upper bounds on the largest size m ₂(n, q) of a complete cap in PG(n, q) are given for q = 4, n = 5, 6, and q = 3, n = 7, 8, 9. The new lower bound 534 ≤ m ₂(8, 3) is obtained by finding a complete 534-cap in PG(8, 3). Many new sizes of complete arcs and caps are obtained. The updated tables of upper bounds for t ₂(n, q), n ≥ 2, and of the spectrum of known sizes for complete caps are given. Interesting complete caps in PG(3, q) of large size are described. A proof of the construction of complete caps in PG(3, 2 ^h ) announced in previous papers is given; this is modified from a construction of Segre. In PG(2, q), for q = 17, δ = 4, and q = 19, 27, δ = 3, we give complete ${(\frac{1}{2}(q + 3) + \delta)}$ -arcs other than conics that share ${\frac{1}{2}(q + 3)}$ points with an irreducible conic. It is shown that they are unique up to collineation. In PG(2, q), ${{q \equiv 2}}$ (mod 3) odd, we propose new constructions of ${\frac{1}{2} (q + 7)}$ -arcs and show that they are complete for q ≤ 3701.     

Caps in finite projective spaces of odd order

In this paper upper bounds on the number of points of large complete caps in PG(n, q), (q odd,n3) are derived. The previously known bounds of Hirschfeld and Segre are improved using recent bounds on the cardinality of the second largest complete cap in the plane PG(2,q).Research of this author is supported by OTKA Grants Nos. 2505 and T-014105     

Caps Embedded in Grassmannians

This paper is concerned with constructing caps embedded in line Grassmannians. In particular, we construct a cap of size q³ +2q²+1 embedded in the Klein quadric of PG(5,q) for even q, and show that any cap maximally embedded in the Klein quadric which is larger than this one must have size equal to the theoretical upper bound, namely q³+2q²+q+2. It is not known if caps achieving this upper bound exist for even q > 2.     

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.     

On the cardinality of blocking sets in PG(2,q)

Denote by PG(2,q) the finite desarguesian projective plane of order q, where q=p^h, p a prime, q>2. We define the function m(q) as follows: m(q)=q, if q is a square; m(q)=(q+1)/2, if q is a prime; m(q)=p^h–d, if q=p^h with h an odd integer, where d denotes the greatest divisor of h different from h. The following theorem is proved: For any integer k with q+m(q)+1 k q²–m(q), there exists a blocking set in PG(2,q) having exactly k elements.To Professor Adriano Barlotti on his 60th birthday.Research partially supported by G.N.S.A.G.A. (CNR)     

Quantum MDS codes with relatively large minimum distance from Hermitian self-orthogonal codes

It has become common knowledge that constructing q-ary quantum MDS codes with minimum distance bigger than \(q/2+1\) is significantly more difficult than constructing those with minimum distance less than or equal to \(q/2+1\). Despite of various constructions of q-ary quantum MDS codes, all known q-ary quantum MDS codes have minimum distance bounded by \(q/2+1\) except for some lengths. The purpose of the current paper is to provide some new q-ary quantum MDS codes with minimum distance bigger than \(q/2+1\). In this paper, we provide several classes of quantum MDS codes with minimum distance bigger than \(q/2+1\). For instance, some examples in these classes include q-ary \([n,n-2k, k+1]\)-quantum MDS codes for cases: (i) \(q\equiv -1\bmod {5}, n=(q^2+4)/5\) and \(1\le k\le (3q-2)/5\); (ii) \(q\equiv -1\bmod {7}, n=(q^2+6)/7\) and \(1\le k\le (4q-3)/7\); (iii) \(2|q, q\equiv -1\bmod {3}, n=2(q^2-1)/3\) and \(1\le k\le (2q-1)/3\); and (iv) \(2|q, q\equiv -1\bmod {5}, n=2(q^2-1)/5\) and \(1\le k\le (3q-2)/5\).     

Abelian Difference Sets Without Self-conjugacy

We obtain some results that are useful to the study of abelian difference sets and relative difference sets in cases where the self-conjugacy assumption does not hold. As applications we investigate McFarland difference sets, which have parameters of the form v=q^d+1( q^d+ q^d-1 +...+ q+2) ,k=q^d( q^d+q^d-1+...+q+1) , = q^d ( q^(d-1)+q^(d-2)+...+q+1), where q is a prime power andd a positive integer. Using our results, we characterize those abelian groups that admit a McFarland difference set of order k- = 81. We show that the Sylow 3-subgroup of the underlying abelian group must be elementary abelian. Our results fill two missing entries in Kopilovich's table with answer no.     

Mixed Partitions of Projective Geometries

Starting from a linear collineation of PG(2n–1,q) suitably constructed from a Singer cycle of GL(n,q), we prove the existence of a partition of PG(2n–1,q) consisting of two (n–1)-subspaces and caps, all having size (qⁿ–1)/(q–1) or (qⁿ–1)/(q+1) according as n is odd or even respectively. Similar partitions of quadrics or hermitian varieties into two maximal totally isotropic subspaces and caps of equal size are also obtained. We finally consider the possibility of partitioning the Segre variety of PG(8,q) into caps of size q²+q+1 which are Veronese surfaces.     

New inductive constructions of complete caps in PG(N,q), q even

Some new families of small complete caps in PG(N, q), q even, are described. By using inductive arguments, the problem of the construction of small complete caps in projective spaces of arbitrary dimensions is reduced to the same problem in the plane. The caps constructed in this article provide an improvement on the currently known upper bounds on the size of the smallest complete cap in PG(N, q), N≥4, for all q≥2³. In particular, substantial improvements are obtained for infinite values of q square, including q=2^2Cm, C≥5, m≥3; for q=2^Cm, C≥5, m≥9, with C, m odd; and for all q≤2¹⁸. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 18: 177–201, 2010     

On complete caps in the projective geometries over\mathbb{F}_3

It is known that the largest size of cap in PG(5, 3) is 56, but very little is known about complete caps of smaller size; the previously known complete caps withk < 56 all had size at most 43. In this paper we construct complete 48-caps and show that any 53-cap is extendable to a 56-cap. From this last result, we derive new upper bounds on the largest size of cap in PG(r, 3) forr 6. The results are obtained from a blend of geometric and coding theoretic techniques.     

Conical flocks,partial flocks,derivation, and generalized quadrangles

L. Bader, G. Lunardon and J. A. Thas have shown that a flock ₀ of a quadratic cone in PG(3, q), q odd, determines a set ={⁰,₁,...,_q} of q+1 flocks. Each _j , 1jq, is said to be derived from ₀. We show that, by derivation, the flocks with q=3 ^e arising from the Ganley planes yield an inequivalent flock for q27. Further, we prove that the Fisher flocks (q odd, q5) are the unique nonlinear flocks for which (q–1)/2 planes of the flock contain a common line. This result is used to show that each of the flocks derived from a Fisher flock is again a Fisher flock. Finally, we prove that any set of q–1 pairwise disjoint nonsingular conics of a cone can be extended to a flock. All these results have implications for the theory of translation planes.     

A new construction of caps

In this paper we present a general method to construct caps in higher-dimensional projective spaces. As an application, for q≥8 even we obtain caps in PG(5,q) larger than the caps known so far, and a new class of caps of size (q+1)(q²+3) for q≥7 odd.     

New Hadamard matrices and conference matrices obtained via Mathon's construction

We give a formulation, via (1, –1) matrices, of Mathon's construction for conference matrices and derive a new family of conference matrices of order 59^2t+1 + 1,t 0. This family produces a new conference matrix of order 3646 and a new Hadamard matrix of order 7292. In addition we construct new families of Hadamard matrices of orders 69^2t+1 + 2, 109^2t+1 + 2, 8499 ^t ,t 0;q ²(q + 3) + 2 whereq 3 (mod 4) is a prime power and 1/2(q + 5) is the order of a skew-Hadamard matrix); (q + 1)q ²9 ^t ,t 0 (whereq 7 (mod 8) is a prime power and 1/2(q + 1) is the order of an Hadamard matrix). We also give new constructions for Hadamard matrices of order 49 ^t 0 and (q + 1)q ² (whereq 3 (mod 4) is a prime power).This work was supported by grants from ARGS and ACRB.Dedicated to the memory of our esteemed friend Ernst Straus.     

Ovoids and spreads of finite classical polar spaces

LetP be a finite classical polar space of rankr, r2. An ovoidO ofP is a pointset ofP, which has exactly one point in common with every totally isotropic subspace of rankr. It is proved that the polar spaceW _n (q) arising from a symplectic polarity ofPG(n, q), n odd andn > 3, that the polar spaceQ(2n, q) arising from a non-singular quadric inPG(2n, q), n > 2 andq even, that the polar space Q^–(2n + 1,q) arising from a non-singular elliptic quadric inPG(2n + 1,q), n > 1, and that the polar spaceH(n,q ²) arising from a non-singular Hermitian variety inPG(n, q ²)n even andn > 2, have no ovoids.LetS be a generalized hexagon of ordern (1). IfV is a pointset of order n³ + 1 ofS, such that every two points are at distance 6, thenV is called an ovoid ofS. IfH(q) is the classical generalized hexagon arising fromG ₂ (q), then it is proved thatH(q) has an ovoid iffQ(6, q) has an ovoid. There follows thatQ(6, q), q=3^2h+1, has an ovoid, and thatH(q), q even, has no ovoid.A regular system of orderm onH(3,q ²) is a subsetK of the lineset ofH(3,q ²), such that through every point ofH(3,q ²) there arem (> 0) lines ofK. B. Segre shows that, ifK exists, thenm=q + 1 or (q + l)/2.If m=(q + l)/2,K is called a hemisystem. The last part of the paper gives a very short proof of Segre's result. Finally it is shown how to construct the 4-(11, 5, 1) design out of the hemisystem with 56 lines (q=3).     

Intersections of Steiner systemss(3,4,v) withv=5·2 n

Let q_v = v(v- 1)(v- 2)/24, I_v = {0,1,2,...,q_v –14,q_v –12,q_v –8,q_v} for v 8, and J(v) = {k: SQS(v), (Q,q₁, (Q, q₂) such that ¦q₁q₂¦ =k. In this paper we show that I_v -{q_v -17} J(v), for all v = 5· 2ⁿ, n 2.Lavoro eseguito con contributo finanziario del M.P.I. (40%), anno 1983.     

Complete ( q 2?+ q +?8)/2-caps in the spaces PG (3, q ), q ≡ 2 (mod 3) an odd prime, and a complete 20-cap in PG (3, 5)

An infinite family of complete (q ² + q + 8)/2-caps is constructed in PG(3, q) where q is an odd prime ≡ 2 (mod 3), q ≥ 11. This yields a new lower bound on the second largest size of complete caps. A variant of our construction also produces one of the two previously known complete 20-caps in PG(3, 5). The associated code weight distribution and other combinatorial properties of the new (q ² + q + 8)/2-caps and the 20-cap in PG(3, 5) are investigated. The updated table of the known sizes of the complete caps in PG(3, q) is given. As a byproduct, we have found that the unique complete 14-arc in PG(2, 17) contains 10 points on a conic. Actually, this shows that an earlier general result dating back to the Seventies fails for q = 17.      

Symmetric balanced ternary designs with ϱ1 = 1 or 2

Summary We prove the following two non-existence theorems for symmetric balanced ternary designs. If ₁ = 1 and 0 (mod 4) then eitherV = + 1 or 4₂ – + 1 is a square and (4₂ – + 1) divides ² – 1. If ₁ = 2 thenV = ((m + 1)/2) ² + 2,K = (m ² + 7)/4 and = ((m – 1)/2)² + 1 wherem 3 (mod 4). An example belonging to the latter series withV = 18 is constructed.     

Small semiovals in PG(2, q)

A semioval in a projective plane is a nonempty subset S of points with the property that for every point P ∈ S there exists a unique line ℓ such that . It is known that and both bounds are sharp. We say that S is a small semioval in if . Dover [5] proved that if S has a (q − 1)-secant, then , thus S is small, and if S has more than one (q − 1)-secant, then S can be obtained from a vertexless triangle by removing some subset of points from one side. We generalize this result and prove that if there exist integers 1 ≤ t and − 1 ≤ k such that and S has a (q − t)-secant, then the tangent lines at the points of the (q − t)-secant are concurrent. Specially when t = 1 then S can be obtained from a vertexless triangle by removing some subset of points from one side. The research was supported by the Italian-Hungarian Intergovernmental Scientific and Technological Cooperation Project, Grant No. I-66/99 and by the Hungarian National Foundation for Scientific Research, Grant Nos. T 043556 and T 043758.     

特征2的有限域中一些特殊元素的存在性(II)

设q=2s.s,n为正整数,Fqn为qn元素的有限域.在本文中,我们考虑Fqn中一些特殊元素的存在性.主要结果是:当下面的条件之一成立时,在Fqn中存在ξ使得ξ和ξ+ξ-1都是本原元并且ξ+ξ-1还是一个正规元:1.当n|(q-1)时,n37,s>6,或者2.当n|■(q-1)时,n≥34,s>6.进一步,如果n是奇数,则当下列条件之一成立时,存在ξ∈Fqn使得ξ和ξ+ξ-1都是Fqn的本原正规元:1.当n|(q-1)时,n≥257,s>9,或者2.当n■(q-1)时,n≥43,s≥9.