Self-dual sets of type \((m,n)\) in projective spaces (Q1879092)

A \(k\)-set of type \((m,n)\) in \(PG(r,q)\), \(m < n\), is a set \(K\) of \(k\) points such that every hyperplane contains either \(m\) or \(n\) points of \(K\) and both values occur (\(k\) is called the size and \(m\) and \(n\) are called the intersection numbers). The sets of all hyperplanes having \(m\) (\(n\), respectively) points in \(K\) form themselves \(k_i\)-sets of type \((m_i,n_i)\) in the dual space, \(i \in \{1,2\}\). A \(k\)-set of type \((m,n)\) is called self-dual if \(k \in \{k_1,k_2\}\). The authors prove that in a non-square order projective space such self-dual sets can only exist if the dimension is odd. It is well known that in \(PG(2s+1,q)\), \(s \geq 1\), non-singular elliptic and hyperbolic quadrics are such self-dual sets. The authors prove that in \(PG(2s+1,q)\), \(s\geq 1\), every self-dual set that has the same size as a non-singular elliptic or hyperbolic quadric must also have the same intersection numbers. As a result, they obtain some new characterizations of non-singular hyperbolic and elliptic quadrics.