No label defined (Q4832253)

A non-singular Hermitian variety \(H(r,q^2)\) in PG\((r,q^2)\) is the set of all absolute points of a non-degenerate unitary polarity of PG\((r,q^2)\). A \(t\)-span of \(H(r,q^2)\) is a set of \(t\) disjoint generators. A \(t\)-span is called complete if it is not contained in any \((t+1)\)-span. If a \(t\)-span partitions the points of \(H(r,q^2)\), it is called a spread. For odd dimensions \(r\) the variety \(H(r,q^2)\) does not admit any spread. The same is true for \(H(4,4)\). For \(q\neq2\) and \(r\geq4\) even, it is unknown whether or not there exist spreads in \(H(r,q^2)\). The author investigates the cases \(r=3\) and \(r=5\). In order to construct complete \((q^2+1)\)-spans the author proves the following extension theorem. Let \(\mathcal L\) be a general linear complex of PG\((3,q)\) and let \(H\) be the set of points of PG\((3,q^2)\) covered by the lines of \(\mathcal L\) when extended to PG\((3,q^2)\). Then \(H\) is a Hermitian surface. From this theorem the existence of complete \((q^2+1)\)-spans is deducted by starting with a general linear complex \(L\) containing the lines of a given symplectic spread \(\mathcal S\) of PG\((3,q)\). Without proof the author states a generalization of this result to the case \(r=5\). The second part of the paper is devoted to the construction of ovoids in \(H(r,q^2)\) for \(r\geq3\). For even dimensions \(r\) it is known that \(H(r,q^2)\) has no ovoids. For odd dimensions the existence of ovoids is open for \(r>3\). The author constructs ovoids of \(H(3,q^2)\) for \(q\) odd and proves that this class of ovoids is not locally Hermitian. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1047.00016].