Translation ovoids of orthogonal polar spaces (Q4656454)

The authors introduce the concept of \(GF(s)\)-linear set of a projective space \(PG(m, s^t)\) generalizing the definition of linear blocking sets [\textit{G. Lunardon}, Geom. Dedicata 75, 245--261 (1999; Zbl 0944.51004) and Combinatorica 21, 571--581 (2001; Zbl 0996.51003)]. Then, they give a characterization of such sets, and via \(GF(s)\)-linear sets they prove that translation ovoids of a finite orthogonal polar space \(\mathbb{P}\) exist if and only if \(\mathbb{P}\) is one of \(Q^+(3, q), Q(4, q), Q^+(5, q)\). Let \(PG(r - 1, s^t) = PG(V, GF(s^t))\). A set \(L\) of points of \(PG(r - 1, s^t)\) is a \(GF(s)\)-{linear} set of \(PG(r - 1, s^t)\) if there is a subset \(W\) of \(V\) which is a \(GF(s)\)-vector subspace of \(V\) such that a point of \(PG(r - 1, s^t)\) belongs to \(L\) if and only if it is defined by a vector of \(W\). Linear \(k\)-blocking sets are examples of \(GF(s)\)-linear sets. The authors prove that each \(GF(s)\)-linear set is either a canonical sub-geometry or the projection of a canonical sub-geometry, and they prove also that a translation ovoid of an orthogonal polar space \(\mathbb P\) is equivalent to a \(GF(s)\)-linear set disjoint from a nonsingular quadric and that if \(\mathbb P\) has a translation ovoid, then \(\mathbb P\) is one of \(Q^+(3, q), Q(4, q), Q^+(5, q)\).