The characterization of cones as pointsets with 3 intersection numbers (Q2112569)

The characterisation of point sets with few intersection numbers is a well-studied topic within finite geometry. In this paper, the author studies certain cones that are point sets with 3 intersection numbers with respect to hyperplanes, thereby extending known characterisation results of line blocking sets in [\textit{S. Innamorati} and \textit{F. Zuanni}, J. Geom. 111, No. 3, Paper No. 45, 10 p. (2020; Zbl 1452.51001)]. A \(cone\) in \(\mathrm{PG}(n,q)\) with vertex a subspace \(V\) and base a set \(B\) contained in a subspace disjoint from \(V\) is the set of all points contained in some line joining a point of \(V\) with a point of \(B\). The first result is the most general one and characterises certain Baer cones. More precisely, let \(q\geq 16\) be a square, \(n\geq 4\), and let \(C_{r,s}\) denote the number of points in a cone with vertex an \(r\)-dimensional space \(\cong \mathrm{PG}(r,q)\) and base an \(s\)-dimensional Baer subgeometry \(\cong \mathrm{PG}(s,\sqrt{q})\). Then the authors show that, for \(2\leq 2t\leq n\), a blocking set with respect to \(t\)-spaces that intersects every hyperplane as a Baer cone with vertex an \((n-2t-1)\)-space and base a \(\mathrm{PG}(2t,\sqrt{q})\), is in fact, such a Baer cone. For \(t=1\), this holds true for \(q\geq 4\). They continue to show several similar results: \begin{itemize} \item characterising line blocking sets in \(\mathrm{PG}(n,q)\), \(n\geq 4\), with the same intersections with respect to hyperplanes as a unital cone (no extension to the case of cones with base a Hermitian variety in higher dimensions is provided). Here, a unital cone has an \((n-3)\)-dimensional vertex and a unital as base. \item characterising plane blocking sets in \(\mathrm{PG}(n,q)\) with the same intersections with respect to hyperplanes as a cone with \((n-3)\)-dimensional vertex and a hyperoval as base. \item characterising plane blocking sets in \(\mathrm{PG}(n,q)\), \(n\geq 5\), with the same intersections with respect to hyperplanes as a cone with \((n-3)\)-dimensional vertex and a maximal arc of degree \(d\) as base, where \(\gcd(d-1,q)\)=1. \end{itemize} The results are proved by a combination of geometrical reasoning with non-trivial counting techniques; the proofs have been split up into several small lemma's to make the arguments easy to follow.