A characterization of the family of secant lines to a hyperbolic quadric in PG ( 3 , q ), q odd

From MaRDI portal
Publication:2198386



Abstract: We give a combinatorial characterization of the family of lines of P G(3, q) which meet a hyperbolic quadric in two points (the so called secant lines) using their intersection properties with the points and planes of PG(3,q).


In this paper, the authors characterise the set of secant lines to a hyperbolic quadric: they start from a family \(\mathcal{S}\) of lines in \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q))\), \(q\geq 7\) and assume that certain intersection properties with points and planes are the same as for the family of secant lines to a hyperbolic quadric. More specifically, the assumption is that the set \(\mathcal{S}\) satisfies: (P1) The number of lines of \(\mathcal{S}\) through a point of \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q)\) is either \(\frac{q(q+1)}{2}\) or \(q^2\) and both possibilities occur. (P2) Every plane \(\pi\) contains at least one line of \(\mathcal{S}\) and either every pencil of lines in \(\pi\) contains \(0\) or \(q\) lines of \(\mathcal{S}\), or every pencil of lines in \(\pi\) contains \(\frac{q-1}{2},\) \(\frac{q+1}{2}\) or \(q\) lines of \(\mathcal{S}\). The authors prove that either \(\mathcal{S}\) is the set of secant lines with respect to a hyperbolic quadric \(\mathcal{Q}^+(3,q)\), or \(\mathcal{S}\) is a hypothetical family of \(\frac{q^4+q^3+2q^2}{2}\) lines. In the latter case, the set of points lying on exactly \(q^2\) lines forms a line of \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q)\). The proofs are combinatorial in nature, and use a result of \textit{F. De Clerck} and \textit{N. De Feyter} [Eur. J. Comb. 28, No. 7, 1910--1921 (2007; Zbl 1126.51010)] in which the point set of a conic and its interior points in \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q)\), \(q\geq 7\), is characterised by the intersection numbers with respect to lines.











This page was built for publication: A characterization of the family of secant lines to a hyperbolic quadric in \(\mathrm{PG} ( 3 , q )\), \(q\) odd

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2198386)