Hyperovals and Hadamard designs (Q1198225)

Let \(D\) be a \(2-(v,k,\lambda)\) design. A \(c\)-set in \(D\) is a set of \(c\) distinct points of \(D\). For a given \(c\)-set \(C\), let \(t_ s\) denote the number of blocks intersecting \(C\) in exactly \(s\) distinct points. The \(c\)-set is of type \((0,n)\) if \(t_ m=0\Leftrightarrow m=0\) or \(n\). The author shows that if \(C\) is a type \((0,n)\) set in \(D\) and \(n\geq \lambda+1\), then \(D\) induces a \(2-(c,n,\lambda)\) design on \(C\). If \(D\) is a projective plane of order \(q\), where \(q\) is even, then a \((0,2)\) set is a hyperoval since each line intersects it in 0 or 2 points. If \(C\) is a \(c\)-set of type \((0,n)\) in a projective plane of order \(q\), one can construct a design \(D\) on the complement of \(C\) in the projective plane such that \(v=b=q^ 2-(n-2)q-n+1\), \(k=q^ 2n^{-1}\) and there are two parameters \(\lambda\), \(\mu\) such that two distinct points \(X\), \(Y\) are on \(\lambda\) blocks if the line \(XY\) is exterior, \(\mu\) blocks if \(XY\) is a secant. In the case where \(\lambda=\mu\), \(n=2\) then \(C\) is a hyperoval and \(D\) is the complementary design of a Hadamard design. The paper contains many other results concerning this situation.