Conclaves of planes in PG\((4,2)\) and certain planes external to the Grassmannian \(\mathcal G_{1,4,2} \subset \text{PG}(9,2)\) (Q1430544)

In this interesting article three topics are brought together: ``Partial spreads'' in PG\((4,2)\) consist of (at most nine) mutually skew lines. They have recently been completely classified by the first author; he showed that they fall into 64 classes under the action of GL\((5,2)\) [accessible from: www.hull.ac.uk/maths/research.html]. An \(8\)-set \(\{\pi_1,\pi_2,\dots,\pi_8\}\) of planes in PG\((n,2)\) is called a conclave if the \(28\) intersections \(\pi_i\cap\pi_j\), \(i\neq j\), are distinct points [see \textit{R.\ Shaw}, Discrete Math. 208--209, 529--546 (1999; Zbl 0946.51010)]. The Grassmannian \({\mathcal G}_{1,4,2}\) representing the lines of PG\((4,2)\) has a \(9\)-dimensional ambient space. The flats of this space external (i.e. disjoint) to \({\mathcal G}_{1,4,2}\) have been classified (also accessible from the web site quoted above). In particular, the external planes fall into three classes under the action of GL\((5,2)\). One of these orbits, denoted as orb\((2\gamma)\) by the authors, has a stabilizer group of order \(168\) and structure \(2^3:(7:3)\). It is shown that in PG\((4,2)\) there exist conclaves, as they are dual to regulus-free partial spreads of eight lines. The conclaves in PG\((4,2)\) are in bijective correspondence with those planes external to the Grassmannian \({\mathcal G}_{1,4,2}\) which belong to the orbit orb\((2\gamma)\). Also, a construction is given of a conclave of planes in PG\((9,2)\) where all planes belong to orb\((2\gamma)\).