Affine generalized quadrangles -- an axiomatization (Q5933864)

A geometric hyperplane of a generalized quadrangle \({\mathcal S} = (P,{\mathcal L})\) (with pointset \(\mathcal P\) and lineset \(\mathcal L\)) is a proper subset \(H\) of \(\mathcal S\) such that for every line \(l\in\mathcal L\) either \(l\subseteq H\) or \(l\) meets \(H\) in a single point. The author shows that if \(H\) is a (geometric) hyperplane of \(\mathcal S\) then either \(H\) is an ovoid of \(\mathcal S\) (i.e., a set of points that partitions the lines), the perp of a point, or a subquadrangle. Moreover, if \(\mathcal S\) has parameters \((s,t)\), then a subquadrangle of \(\mathcal S\) is a hyperplane if and only if it has parameters \((s,t/s)\), which would force \(s\) to divide \(t\). The complement \(H^c\) of a hyperplane \(H\) is the point-line geometry \({\mathcal S}\setminus H\) as the set of points and all sets \(l\setminus (l\cap H)\) as lines, for \(l\in \mathcal L\) with \(l\) not contained in \(H\). A hyperplane complement of a thick generalized quadrangle (at least three points on each line and at least three lines on each point) is called an affine generalized quadrangle. Hence there are three basic kinds of affine GQ. In the interesting paper under review a set of seven (really eight) axioms is developed, various subsets of which characterize affine GQ of the various kinds, i.e., identifying which kind of hyperplane was used to produce a given affine GQ. A study is made of the independence of the axioms and several examples are given that illustrate the need for the various axioms. The full set of seven basic axioms characterizes affine generalized quadrangles even in the infinite case.