A characterization of Hermitian varieties as codewords (Q1753045)

Summary: It is known that the Hermitian varieties are codewords in the code defined by the points and hyperplanes of the projective spaces \(\mathrm{PG}(r,q^2)\). In finite geometry, also quasi-Hermitian varieties are defined. These are sets of points of \(\mathrm{PG}(r,q^2)\) of the same size as a non-singular Hermitian variety of \(\mathrm{PG}(r,q^2)\), having the same intersection sizes with the hyperplanes of \(\mathrm{PG}(r,q^2)\). In the planar case, this reduces to the definition of a unital. A famous result of \textit{A. Blokhuis} et al. [Discrete Math. 97, No. 1--3, 63--68 (1991; Zbl 0758.05025)] states that every unital in the code of the points and lines of \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^2)\) is a Hermitian curve. We prove a similar result for the quasi-Hermitian varieties in \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q^2)\), \(q=p^{h}\), as well as in \(\mathrm{PG}(r,q^2)\), \(q=p\) prime, or \(q=p^2\), \(p\) prime, and \(r\geq 4\).