A family of \(d\)-dimensional dual hyperovals in \(PG(2d+1,2)\) (Q1306935)

A family \(\mathcal S\) of \(d\)-dimensional subspaces of \(PG(m,q)\) is called a \(d\)-dimensional dual hyperoval if the following conditions hold: (a) any three distinct members of \(\mathcal S\) intersect trivially; (b) \(X\cap Y\) is a projective point for every distinct members \(X,Y\) of \(\mathcal S\); (c) \(|{\mathcal S}|=q^d+\dots+q+2\); (d) the members of \(\mathcal S\) span \(PG(m,q)\). Recently one infinite family of \(d\)-dimensional dual hyperovals was found by Cooperstein and Thas in \(PG(2d,2)\). In fact (Del Fra) every \(d\)-dimensional dual hyperoval in \(PG(2d,2)\) belongs to the family of Cooperstein and Thas. Let \(q=2^e\) and consider the \(q\) element field \(GF(q)\) as an \(e\)-dimensional vector space over \(GF(2)\). Fix an integer \(m\) coprime to \(e\), \(1\leq m\leq e-1\). The set \(V=GF(q)\oplus GF(q)\) has the structure of a \(2e\)-space over \(GF(2)\). For \((a,b)\in V\), define an \(e\)-subspace \(X(a,b)\) of \(V\) by: \[ X(a,b)=\{(x,ax^{2m}+bx)\mid x\in GF(q)\}. \] Choose a set \(\mathcal C\) of nonzero vectors of \(V\) such that (i) \(a\neq c\) and \(b\neq d\) for \((a,b)\neq (c,d)\in \mathcal C\); (ii) no three distinct vectors of \(\mathcal C\) are collinear; (iii) \(|{\mathcal C}|=q\). For the set \(\mathcal C\) let \({\mathcal S}_m({\mathcal C})\) be the family of \(e\)-subspaces \(X(a,b)\), where \((a,b)\) ranges over \(\mathcal C\). Then the family \({\mathcal S}_m({\mathcal C})\) is an \((e-1)\)-dimensional dual hyperoval in \(\langle {\mathcal S}_m({\mathcal C}) \rangle\). Let \({\mathcal C}_h=\{(t,t^{2^h})\mid t\in GF(q)\}\) for integer \(h\) coprime to \(e\), \(1\leq h\leq e-1\). We refer to \({\mathcal S}_m^h={\mathcal S}_m({\mathcal C}_h)\) as a translation dual hyperoval. In this paper following results are proved. \({\mathcal S}_m^h\) is the translation dual hyperoval (proposition 3) in \(PG(2e-1,2)\) if \(m+h\neq e\) (resp. \(PG(2e-2,2)\) if \(m+h=e\)). Further, \(\Aut({\mathcal S}_m^h)=A\Gamma L_1(2^e)\) except when \(e=3\) and \((m,h)=(1,1)\) or \((2,2)\). In the exceptional case, \({\mathcal S}_1^1\simeq {\mathcal S}_2^2\) and \(\Aut({\mathcal S}_1^1)=2^3:GL_3(2)\) (proposition 7). Finally, the translation dual hyperoval \({\mathcal S}_m^h\) is isomorphic to \({\mathcal S}_n^k\) if and only if either \(h=k\) and \(m=n\) or \(m+n=h+k=e\) (proposition 11).