Bose-Burton type theorems for finite Grassmannians (Q5901357)

Let \(h, n\in \mathbb N\) (\(0\leq h\leq n - 1\)) and \({\mathbb P} = \mathrm{PG}(n, q)\). The \(h\)--\textit{Grassmannian} of \(\mathbb P\) is the semilinear space \(\Gamma(n, h)\) whose points are the \(h\)--subspaces of \(\mathbb P\) and whose lines are all pencils of \(h\)-subspaces of \(\mathbb P\), a \textit{pencil} being the set of all \(h\)--subspaces through an \((h-1)\)--subspace and contained in an \((h+1)\)--subspace. A \textit{singular subspace} of a semilinear space \(({\mathcal P}, {\mathcal L})\) is a subset \(X\) of \(\mathcal P\), such that any two points of \(X\) are collinear and for every pair of distinct points \(x, y\) of \(X\) the line containing \(x\) and \(y\) is wholly contained in \(X\). If \(\Sigma = ({\mathcal P}, {\mathcal L})\) is the point--line geometry of either \(\mathbb P\) or \(\Gamma(n, h)\), an \((s, t)\)--\textit{blocking set} of \(\Sigma\) is a set \(\mathcal K\) of \(t\)--dimensional singular subspaces, such that each \(s\)--dimensional singular subspace is incident with an element of \(\mathcal K\). If \(t = 0\), \(\mathcal K\) is a blocking set in the usual sense or an \(s\)--\textit{blocking set}, whereas a \((0, t)\)--blocking set is called a \(t\)--\textit{cover}. A \textit{Bose--Burton type theorem} is a theorem characterizing a geometric structure in terms of blocking sets. In the paper under review, both blocking sets with respect to the \(s\)--subspaces and covers with \(t\)--subspaces in a finite Grassmannian are investigated, and a Bose--Burton type theorem for \(1\)--blocking sets of \(\Gamma(5, 2)\) is given.