Some basic questions and conjectures on elation generalized quadrangles, and their solutions (Q2471481)

The author discusses the uniqueness of elation groups, elations and strong elations of elation generalized quadrangles (EGQ). An EGQ is a generalized quadrangle together with a point \(p\) of it, and a group \(G\) of collineations acting sharply transitively on the points not collinear with \(p\). An elation is a collineation fixing \(p\) but no point not collinear with \(p\), or the identity. A standard elation is an elation which generates a group of elations. A famous problem asks whether the set of elations is a group. But there are obvious -- classical -- counterexamples (following from Burnside's theorem and producing non-standard elations). Next, one can ask whether the set of standard elations forms an elation group. The author also answers this negatively by proving the following two results. (1) The Hermitian quadrangle \(H(3,q^2)\) admits two non-isomorphic elation groups \(G,G'\) with respect to the same point \(p\), for \(q\) even. (2) One of the groups \(G,G'\) has the property that it is not normal in the full stabilizer of \(p\), hence showing that not all collineations of the quadrangle, fixing \(p\), are induced by automorphisms of the corresponding elation group.