Related papers: On sets of points with few odd secants

In this paper, we study the problem of finding the largest possible set of s points and s lines in a projective plane of order q, such that that none of the s points lie on any of the s lines. We prove that s <= 1+(q+1)(\sqrt{q}-1). We also…

Let $q$ be a prime power and $k$ be a natural number. What are the possible cardinalities of point sets ${S}$ in a projective plane of order $q$, which do not intersect any line at exactly $k$ points? This problem and its variants have been…

Let $p$ denote the characteristic of ${\mathbb F}_q$, the finite field with $q$ elements. We prove that if $q$ is odd then an arc of size $q+2-t$ in the projective plane over ${\mathbb F}_q$, which is not contained in a conic, is contained…

We show that a unital $U$ in $\mathrm{PG}(2,q^2)$ containing a point $P$, such that at least $q^2-\epsilon$ of the secant lines through $P$ intersect $U$ in a Baer subline, is an ovoidal Buekenhout-Metz unital (where $\epsilon\approx 2q$…

A set without tangents in $\PG(2,q)$ is a set of points S such that no line meets S in exactly one point. An exterior set of a conic $\mathcal{C}$ is a set of points $\E$ such that all secant lines of $\E$ are external lines of…

All sets of lines providing a partition of the set of internal points to a conic C in PG(2,q), q odd, are determined. There exist only three such linesets up to projectivities, namely the set of all nontangent lines to C through an external…

Starting from an integral projective variety $Y$ equipped with a very ample, non-special and not-secant defective line bundle $\mathcal{L}$, the paper establishes, under certain conditions, the regularity of $(Y \times \mathbb…

Dirac and Motzkin conjectured that any set X of $n$ non-collinear points in the plane has an element incident with at least $\lceil \frac{n}{2} \rceil$ lines spanned by X. In this paper we prove that any set X of $n$ non-collinear points in…

We establish that if $d \geq 2k + 6$ and $q$ is odd and sufficiently large with respect to $\alpha \in (0,1)$, then every set $A\subseteq \mathbf{F}_q^d$ of size $|A| \geq \alpha q^d$ will contain an isometric copy of every spherical…

Let P be a set of n points in the plane, not all on a line. We show that if n is large then there are at least n/2 ordinary lines, that is to say lines passing through exactly two points of P. This confirms, for large n, a conjecture of…

We prove a remarkable combinatorial symmetry in the number of spanning configurations in site percolation: for a large class of lattices, the number of spanning configurations with an odd or even number of occupied sites differs by $\pm 1$.…

A n-set of equi-isoclinic planes in R^r is a set of n planes spanning R^r each pair of which has the same non-zero angle arccos(sqrt(lambda)). We prove that for any odd integer k such that 2k=p^alpha+1, p odd prime, alpha non-negative…

A basis of the ideal of the complement of a linear subspace in a projective space over a finite field is given. As an application, the second largest number of points of plane curves of degree $d$ over the finite field of $q$ elements is…

Let q be an odd prime power and let f(r) be the minimum size of the symmetric difference of r lines in the Desarguesian projective plane PG(2,q). We prove some results about the function f(r), in particular showing that there exists a…

We classify nets of conics in Desarguesian projective planes over finite fields of odd order, namely, two-dimensional linear systems of conics containing a repeated line. Our proof is geometric in the sense that we solve the equivalent…

The subject of this paper is the study of small complete arcs in $\mathrm{PG}(2,q)$, for $q$ odd, with at least $(q+1)/2$ points on a conic. We give a short comprehensive proof of the completeness problem left open by Segre in his seminal…

We investigate the maximum number of intersections between two polygons with p and q vertices, respectively, in the plane. The cases where p or q is even or the polygons do not have to be simple are quite easy and already known, but when p…

Let $S$ be a set of $n$ points in real three-dimensional space, no three collinear and not all co-planar. We prove that if the number of planes incident with exactly three points of $S$ is less than $Kn^2$ for some $K=o(n^{\frac{1}{7}})$…

It is well established that a general pair of twisted cubic curves in complex projective space has ten common secant lines. As an initial investigation, we show that the monodromy group of the ten common secant lines over the complex…

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).