A combinatorial characterization of quadrics (Q1581005)

Let \(K\) denote a set of \(k\) points in \(PG(3,q)\), the 3-dimensional projective space over the Galois field \(GF(q)\) of order \(q\) where \(q\) is a prime power. The ``plane characters'' of \(K\) are the numbers \(t_i\) of planes meeting \(K\) in exactly \(i\) points, \(0\leq i\leq q^2+q+1\). \(K\) is said to be a ``two plane character \(k\)-set'' if only two plane characters are different from zero, and -- moreover -- of type \((m,n)_2\) for \(t_i\neq 0\) if and only if \(i \in\{m,n\}\). It is well known that in \(PG(3,q)\) the two types of non-singular quadrics, the elliptic and the hyperbolic ones are respectively \((q^2+1)\)-sets of type \((1,q+1)_2\) and \((q+1)^2\)-sets of type \((q+1,2q+1)_2\). The authors prove the following converse (incidence characterization): A two plane character \((q^2+1)\)-set/\((q+1)^2\)-set of \(PG(3,q)\) is of the same type as an elliptic/a hyperbolic quadric, respectively.