Split semi-biplanes in antiregular generalized quadrangles

Split Semi-Biplanes in Antiregular Generalized Quadrangles

There are a number of important substructures associated with sets of points of antiregular quadrangles. Inspired by a construction of P. Wild, we associate with any four distinct collinear points p, q, r and s of an antiregular quadrangle an incidence structure which is the union of the two biaffine planes associated with {p, r} and {q, s}. We investigate when this incidence structure is a sem...

Finite Generalized Quadrangles

Probabilistic constructions in generalized quadrangles

We study random constructions in incidence structures, and illustrate our techniques by means of a well-studied example from finite geometry. A maximal partial ovoid of a generalized quadrangle is a maximal set of points no two of which are collinear. The problem of determining the smallest size of a maximal partial ovoid in quadrangles has been extensively studied in the literature. In general...

Characterizations of Generalized Quadrangles by Generalized Homologies

Let S= (P, B, I) be a generalized quadrangle of order (s, t). For X, y E P, X+ y. let X(x, y) be the group of all collineations of S fixing x and y linewise. If ZE (4 YJL> then the set of all points incident with the line xz (resp. y;) is denoted by z(resp. 3. The generalized quadrangle S = (P, B, I) is said to be (x, y)-transitive, x+ y, if X(x, y) is transitive on each set Z{x, z} and jZ’-{ y...

Foundations of elation generalized quadrangles

In these notes we are interested in the following fundamental question: “Given a thick generalized quadrangle S(x) with elation point (respectively center of transitivity) x , when does the set of all elations about x form a group?”. It was the general belief for a long time that this is usually the case. However, the goal of these notes is to show that this belief is wrong. To that end, we wil...