Generalized hexagons and polar spaces (Q1808769): Difference between revisions

Here is considered the construction of the known generalized hexagons as group coset geometries. Let \(W(2n+1,q)\) be the polar space arising from the symplectic polarity of \(PG(2n+1,q)\) associated with the nonsingular alternating bilinear form \((\;,\;)\). Let us denote by \(\mathcal O\) and \(\mathcal P\) respectively a partial ovoid and a partial spread of \(W(2n+1,q)\) such that \(|{\mathcal O}|=|{\mathcal P}|=q^n+1\) and such that for each \(p\in \mathcal O\) there exists a unique \(T_p\in \mathcal P\) such that \(p\in T_p\). Let \(W(2n+3,q)\) be the polar space arising from the symplectic polarity \(\bot\) of \(PG(2n+3,q)\). If \(x\) and \(y\) are two points of \(PG(2n+3,q)\) not collinear in \(W(2n+3,q)\), then \(x^\bot\cap y^\bot=T\) is a \((2n+1)\)-dimensional subspace of \(PG(2n+3,q)\) and \(T\cap W(2n+3,q)= W(2n+1,q)\). Define a point-line geometry \(H({\mathcal O},{\mathcal P})\) in the following way: Points: (1) the distinguished point \(x\); (2) the points of \(PG(2n+3,q)\) different from \(x\) but contained in one of the lines \(\langle x,p\rangle\) where \(p\) belongs to \(\mathcal O\); (3) the maximal totally isotropic subspaces of \(PG(2n+3,q)\) not containing in \(x^\bot\) and meeting one of the \((n+1)\)-dimensional subspaces \(\langle x,T_p\rangle\) (\(p\in \mathcal O\)) in an \(n\)-dimensional subspace; (4) the points of \(PG(2n+3,q)-x^\bot\). Lines: (i) the lines \(\langle x,p\rangle\) where \(p\in \mathcal O\); (ii) the \(n\)-dimensional subspaces not incident with \(x\), and contained in one of the \((n+1)\)-dimensional subspaces \(\langle x,T_p\_rangle\) (\(p\in \mathcal O\)); (iii) the totally singular lines not contained in \(x^\bot\) and meeting \(x^\bot\) in a point belonging to one of the lines \(\langle x,p\rangle\) (\(p\in \mathcal O\)). Incidence: Points of type (2) and lines of type (iii) are never incident; all other incidences are inherited from \(PG(2n+3,q)\). Theorem 1. If \(q\) is odd, \(H({\mathcal O},{\mathcal P})\) is a generalized hexagon with parameters \((q,q^n)\). Moreover \(H({\mathcal O}_3,{\mathcal S}_3)\) is isomorphic to the \(\;^3D_4(q)\)-hexagon. Further, \(H({\mathcal O}_3,{\mathcal S}_3)\) contains the subhexagon \(H(S)\) which is isomorphic to the \(G_2(q)\)-hexagon.