Spreads and classes of maximal subgroups of \(GL_ n(q), SL_ n(q),PGL_ n(q)\) and \(PSL_ n(q)\) (Q1175914)

The paper is concerned with classical spreads \({\mathcal S}_ r\) in \(PG(n- 1,q)\). For any \(r\) which divides \(n\), \({\mathcal S}_ r\) is a set of \((r- 1)\)-subspaces that partitions \(PG(n-1,q)\). To avoid obvious uninteresting cases, \(r\) is assumed to be a proper divisor of \(n\). The main result is: If \(r\) is prime, then the stabilizers of \({\mathcal S}_ r\) in \(PGL_ n(q)\) and \(PSL_ n(q)\) are maximal subgroups of \(PGL_ n(q)\) and \(PSL_ n(q)\) respectively. The proof is elementary but intricate, involving only a study of the action of these groups on \({\mathcal S}_ r\), which is intimately associated with a symplectic polarity. The arguments are geometrical and combinatorial. The special case \(n=2r\) (\(r\) divides \(q-1\)) needs to be handled separately. Some other properties of the stabilizers are also considered.