Special sets of the Hermitian surface and Segre invariants (Q2488832): Difference between revisions

Consider the Hermitian surface \({\mathcal H} = {\mathcal H}(3,q^2)\). A subset \(\mathcal S\) of cardinality \(q^2+1\) of the point set of \(\mathcal H\) is called a special set, if any point of the complement \(\mathcal H \setminus \mathcal S\) is perpendicular to 0 or 2 points of \(\mathcal S\). In 1965, \textit{B. Segre} introduced an invariant for triangles inscribed in a Hermitian curve \({\mathcal H}(3,q^2)\) of PG\((2,q^2)\) based on homogeneous projective coordinates [Ann. Mat. Pura Appl., IV. Ser. 70, 1--202 (1965; Zbl 0146.16703)]. Segre's definition can easily be extended to ordered triples of mutually non-orthogonal points of \({\mathcal H}(n,q^2)\). \textit{A. Cossidente} and \textit{T. Pentilla} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 72, No. 3, 731--741 (2005; Zbl 1085.51013)] proved that for any hyperbolic quadric \(Q\) of PG\((3,q^2) \), \(q\) odd, which commutes with \(\mathcal H\) and where the intersection \(Q \cap {\mathcal H}(3,q^2)\) is a Baer elliptic quadric \({\mathcal Q} = {\mathcal Q}^-(3,q)\), the quadric \(\mathcal Q\) is a special set of \(\mathcal H\). Such a special set is called of CP-type. The author proves that any special set \({\mathcal S}\) of \({\mathcal H}(3,q^2)\) with \(q\) odd is of CP type if and only if all Segre invariants of ordered triples of \({\mathcal S}\) are equal to 1.