Strongly closed subgraphs in a distance-regular graph with \(c_{2} > 1\) (Q1015439)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a distance-regular graph of diameter \(d\geq 3\) with \(c_2>1\). Let \(m\) be an integer with \(1\leq m\leq d-1\). It is consider following conditions: {\parindent=16mm \begin{itemize}\item[{\((SC)_m\):}]For any pair of vertices at distance \(m\) there exist a strongly closed subgraph of diameter \(m\) containing them. \item[{\((BB)_m\):}]Let \((x,y,z)\) be a triple of vertices with \(d(x,y)=1\), \(d(x,z)=d(y,z)=m\). Then \(B(x,z)=B(y,z)\). \item[{\((CA)_m\):}]Let \((x,y,z)\) be a triple of vertices with \(d(x,y)=2\), \(d(x,z)=d(y,z)=m\) and \(|C(x,z)\cap C(y,z)|\geq 2\). Then \(A(x,z)\cup C(x,z)=A(y,z)\cup C(y,z)\). \end{itemize}} The condition \((SC)_m\) implies \((BB)_i\) for all \(i\) with \(1\leq i\leq m\) and \((CA)_m\). Theorem 1. Let \(\Gamma\) be a distance-regular graph of diameter \(d\geq 3\) with \(c_2>1\). Let \(m\) be an integer with \(1\leq m\leq d-1\). Then the following conditions are equivalent. {\parindent=8mm \begin{itemize}\item[(i)]The condition \((SC)_m\) holds. \item[(ii)]The conditions \((BB)_i\) and \((CA)_i\) holds for all \(i\) with \(1\leq i\leq m\). \end{itemize}} Proposition 2. Let \(\Gamma\) be a distance-regular graph of diameter \(d\geq 5\). Let \(q\) and \(m\) be integers with \(q>1\) and \(4\leq m\leq d-1\). Suppose for any three distinct vertices the number of their common neighbors is 0, 1 or \(q+1\). Then the following conditions are equivalent. {\parindent=8mm \begin{itemize}\item[(i)]\(c_i=1+q+\dots,q^{i-1}\) and \(a_i=0\) for all \(i\) with \(1\leq i\leq m\). \item[(ii)]The conditions \((SC)_m\) holds. Moreover \(q\) is a prime power and any strongly closed subgraph of diameter \(m\) is the dual polar graph on \([D_m(q)]\). \end{itemize}}