Point derivation of partial geometries. (Q1405001)

The author generalizes a method for constructing partial quadrangles from generalized quadrangles. See \textit{F. De Clerck} and \textit{H. Van Maldeghem} [in Handbook of incidence geometry: buildings and foundations, 433--475 (1995; Zbl 0823.51010)] for the method and nomenclature. The construction of the author is as follows: Let \({\mathcal S}= ({\mathcal P},{\mathcal L}, I)\) be a partial geometry \(pg(s,t,\alpha)\). For a point \(p\) of \({\mathcal S}\) let \(p^\perp\) be the set of points of \({\mathcal S}\) collinear with \(p\) (including \(p\)) and let \({\mathcal L}(p)\) be the set of lines of \({\mathcal S}\) containing \(p\). Define a new structure \({\mathcal S}_p= ({\mathcal P}_p,{\mathcal L}_p, I_p)\) as follows: \({\mathcal P}_p={\mathcal P}- p^\perp\), \({\mathcal L}_p={\mathcal L}-{\mathcal L}_p\), and \(I_p= I\cap[({\mathcal P}_p\times{\mathcal L}_p)\cup({\mathcal L}_p\times{\mathcal P}_p)]\). The structure \({\mathcal S}_p\) is called the geometry derived from \({\mathcal S}\) with respect to the point \(p\). Assume that for every triad \(\{p,y,z\}\) of noncollinear points on \({\mathcal S}\) the set \(\{p,y,z\}^\perp\) of points in \({\mathcal S}\) collinear with \(p\), \(y\), and \(z\) has constant cardinality \(\eta\). The structure \({\mathcal S}_p\) then is a semipartial geometry \(spg(s- \alpha,t,\beta,\alpha(t+1)- \eta)\) if and only if for every line \(L\) of \({\mathcal S}\) and for every point \(x\) in \({\mathcal P}_n\) we have \(| L\cap p^\perp\cap x^\perp|\) is either \(\alpha\) or \(\alpha-\beta\). The parameters of \({\mathcal S}_p\) are then \(s-\alpha\), \(t\), \(\beta\), \(\alpha(t+ 1)-\eta\) where \(\beta\) is determined by \(\alpha\), \(s\), \(t\), \(\eta\). [The formula for \(\beta\) is given in Lemma 3 of the article, along with other relations among the parameters.] The author uses this construction method to show that the semipartial geometry \(SPQ(4n- 2,3)\) is derived from the partial geometry \(PQ^+(4n- 1,3)\) with respect to a point. As the author points out this gives a shorter proof that \(SPQ(4n- 2,3)\) is indeed a semipartial geometry. The article is crisp and well written and exhibits a potentially very fruitful construction method.