A characterization of the line set of an odd-dimensional Baer subspace (Q917022)

A subplane \(\pi_ 0\) of a projective plane \(\pi\) is a Baer subplane if and only if every point of \(\pi\) is on some line of \(\pi_ 0\) and every line of \(\pi\) contains a point of \(\pi_ 0.\) Baer subplanes are blocking sets and are minimal in the sense that the number of points in a blocking set that is not a Baer subplane is always greater than the number of points in a Baer subplane. Let \({\mathcal L}\) be a set of lines \(PG(2t+1,q)\). A point x is called a blocking point if (1) Every \(t+1\) dimensional subspace which contains x contains a line of \({\mathcal L}\) through x. (2) Every subplane which contains x contains a line not in \({\mathcal L}\) which contains x. Theorem: Consider the line sets \({\mathcal L}\) of \(PG(2t+1,q)\), \(q>4\) which satisfy the following conditions: (1) Every line of \({\mathcal L}\) contains at least one blocking point (2) Every \(t+1\) dimensional subspace contains a line of \({\mathcal L}\). (3) Each pair of coplanar lines of \({\mathcal L}\) intersect in a blocking point. Then the ``minimal'' sets \({\mathcal L}\) which satisfy these conditions are the line sets of Baer subspaces.