A combinatorial characterization of the Klein quadric (Q2563496)

Let \(P\) be a projective space, coordinatized over a skewfield \(K\) with more than two elements. A Tallini set is a spanning subset of \(P\) which contains every line with at least three points in common with it. Assume that the Tallini set \(T\) in \(P\) contains a line, is connected, and no point on \(T\) is collinear with every other point of \(T\). If \(T\) satisfies one more technical condition, then \(K\) is a field, the dimension of \(P\) is 5, and \(T\) is the hyperbolic quadric \(Q^+_5\). Thus \(Q^+_5\) is characterized in terms of incidence geometry. The methods presented in the paper also allow a combinatorial proof of a result of \textit{H. Havlicek} [J. Geom. 16, 152-180 (1981; Zbl 0463.51003 and Zbl 0463.51004)], which states that if a Grassmann geometry over some skewfield \(K'\) can be embedded into \(P,\) then \(K\) and \(K'\) are isomorphic fields.