Partial parallelisms in finite projective spaces

Let \({\mathcal P}=PG(d,q)\) be the d-dimensional desarguesian projective space over GF(q). Determining the existence of a parallelism in \({\mathcal P}\) has been accomplished in only a few cases. [See, for example, the author, ibid. 3, 35-40 (1974; Zbl 0282.50019).] Thus, much work has been spent on partial parallelisms in \({\mathcal P}.\) A partial parallelism is a collection of disjoint spreads, and a parallelism is a partial parallelism in which any line of \({\mathcal P}\) is contained in exactly one of the spreads. Thus, for the existence of a partial parallelism the integer d must be odd. In this article the author considers the maximum number p(d,q) of (disjoint) spreads that can be contained in a partial parallelism of \({\mathcal P}\). It is well known that \(p(d,q)\leq q^{d-1}+...+q+1\) with equality if and only if the partial parallelism is a parallelism. The author shows that \(p(d,q)\geq q^ e+...+q+1,\) where \(e=2^ i-2\) with \(2^ i\leq d+1\leq q^{i+1}.\) The main tool in the proof is the concept of a parallelism of \({\mathcal P}- {\mathcal U}\), where \({\mathcal U}\) is a subspace of \({\mathcal P}\). This is a partition \(\{\Lambda_ 1,\Lambda_ 2,...,\}\) of the set of lines of \({\mathcal P}\) disjoint to \({\mathcal U}\) such that each \(\Lambda_ j\) partitions the points of \({\mathcal P}-{\mathcal U}\). If \({\mathcal U}\) has dimension s then the author shows that \(PG(d-s-1,q)\) having a parallelism implies \({\mathcal P}-{\mathcal U}\) has a parallelism. Thus, if \(s=d-2^ i\) for a positive integer i then the difference \({\mathcal P}-{\mathcal U}\) has a parallelism. Choosing i as large as possible, using the fact that \({\mathcal U}\) has a spread \(\Sigma\), and applying the method of induction, it follows that \({\mathcal P}\) has a partial parallelism with \(q^{2f}+...+q+1\) disjoint spreads where \(f=2^{i-1}-1\).

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