The two smallest minimal blocking sets of \(Q(2n,3)\), \(n\geq3\) (Q2471465)

Let \(Q(2n,q)\), \(n\geq2\), be the non-singular parabolic quadric in \(PG(2n,q)\). An ovoid of the polar space \(Q(2n,q)\) is a set of points \(\mathcal{O}\) of \(Q(2n,q)\) such that every maximal singular subspace of \(Q(2n,q)\) intersects \(\mathcal{O}\) in exactly one point. A blocking set of the polar space \(Q(2n,q)\) is a set of points \(\mathcal{K}\) of \(Q(2n,q)\) such that every generator intersects \(\mathcal{K}\) in at least one point. A blocking set \(\mathcal{K}\) is minimal if \(\mathcal{K}\setminus\{p\}\) is not a blocking set for any point \(p\in\mathcal{K}\). In this paper, the authors characterize the smallest minimal blocking sets of \(Q(2n,3)\), \(n\geq3\). Their main result is the following theorem. Theorem 8. The minimal blocking sets of \(Q(2n,3)\), \(n\geq3\), of size at most \(3^n+3^{n-2}\), are truncated cones \(\pi^*_{n-4}\mathcal{O}\), \(\pi_{n-4}\subseteq Q(2n,3)\), \(\pi_{n-4}^{\perp}\cap Q(2m,3)=\pi_{n-4}Q(6,3)\), \(\mathcal{O}\) an ovoid of \(Q(6,3)\), and \(\pi_{n-3}^*Q^{-}(3,3)\), \(\pi_{n-3}\subseteq Q(2n,3)\), \(\pi_{n-3}^{\perp}\cap Q(2n,3)=\pi_{n-3}Q(4,3)\), \(Q^{-}(3,3)\subseteq Q(4,3)\). Furthermore, a minimal blocking set of size \(3^n+3^{n-2}+1\) of \(Q(2n,3)\) does not exist.