A note on maximal partial spreads with deficiency \(q+1\), \(q\) even (Q1395830)

A \textit{partial spread} of \(PG(3,q)\) is any set \(S\) of mutually skew lines in \(PG(3,q)\). If \(|S|= q^2 + 1\), then every point of \(PG(3,q)\) lies on exactly one line of \(S\) and \(S\) is called a \textit{spread}. In general, the \textit{deficiency} of a partial spread \(S\) is defined to be \(q^2+1 - |S|\). A partial spread \(S\) is said to be \textit{maximal} if \(S\) is not properly contained in a larger partial spread. In the paper under review the authors show that there exists a maximal partial spread of deficiency \(q+1\) in \(PG(3,q)\) for all even \(q \geq 4\). This fills one of the annoying holes in determining the spectrum of possible sizes for maximal partial spreads of \(PG(3,q)\). The technique used is a variation on an approach used by one of the authors in [\textit{D. Jungnickel}, J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 62, 66-92 (1993; Zbl 0846.51005)].