The characteristic polynomial of a geometric lattice in symplectic geometry over finite fields (Q1187345)

In a \(2\cdot n\)-dimensional vector space \(V\) over \(GF(q)\) call a subspace \(P\) of dimension \(m\) non-isotropic if for a basis \(B\) of row vectors of \(P\) and the transpose matrix \(B^ T\) the matrix \(BKB^ T\) is of rank \(2m\) where \[ K=\begin{pmatrix} 0 & I_ n\\ I_ n & 0\end{pmatrix}. \] For the finite set \({\mathcal A}\) of non-isotropic subspaces of dimension \(2(\nu-1)\) of the vector space \(V\) one has \(\bigcap_{U\bar\in{\mathcal A}}U=\{0\}\). Let \(L({\mathcal A})\) be the lattice of all intersections of elements of \({\mathcal A}\) with ordering \(P\geq Q\) iff \(P\subset Q\). This lattice can be characterized in the following way: For the orthogonal complement \(P^ \perp\) of \(P\bar\in L({\mathcal A})\) let \(\rho(P)=\dim P+\dim(P\cap P^ \perp)\). \(\rho\) is monotonic, \(\rho(P)\) is even, and \(P\bar\in L({\mathcal A})\Leftrightarrow \rho(P)\leq 2(\nu-1)\). From this the authors calculate the characteristic polynomial of the geometric lattice \(L(\mathcal A)\). For \(m=n\) it has \(m\) integer roots \(1,q,\dots,q^{n-1.}\).