We study simple Lie algebras generated by extremal elements, over arbitrary fields of arbitrary characteristic. We show the following: (1) If the extremal geometry contains lines, then the Lie algebra admits a $5 \times 5$-grading that can be parametrized by a cubic norm structure; (2) If there exists a field extension of degree at most $2$ such that the extremal geometry over that field extension contains lines, and in addition, there exist symplectic pairs of extremal elements, then the Lie algebra admits a $5 \times 5$-grading that can be parametrized by a quadrangular algebra.

One of our key tools is a new definition of exponential maps that makes sense even over fields of characteristic $2$ and $3$, which ought to be interesting in its own right.

Not only was Jacques Tits a constant source of inspiration through his work, he also had a direct personal influence, notably through his threat to speak evil of our work if it did not include the characteristic 2 case.

—The Book of Involutions [KMRT98, p. xv]

We prove an incidence result counting the k-rich $\delta $-tubes induced by a well-spaced set of $\delta $-atoms. Our result coincides with the bound that would be heuristically predicted by the Szemerédi–Trotter theorem and holds in all dimensions $d \geq 2$. We also prove an analogue of Beck’s theorem for $\delta $-atoms and $\delta $-tubes as an application of our result.

We prove several sharp distortion and monotonicity theorems for spherically convex functions defined on the unit disk involving geometric quantities such as spherical length, spherical area, and total spherical curvature. These results can be viewed as geometric variants of the classical Schwarz lemma for spherically convex functions.

The pentagram map takes a planar polygon $P$ to a polygon $P'$ whose vertices are the intersection points of consecutive shortest diagonals of $P$. This map is known to interact nicely with Poncelet polygons, that is, polygons which are simultaneously inscribed in a conic and circumscribed about a conic. A theorem of Schwartz states that if $P$ is a Poncelet polygon, then the image of $P$ under the pentagram map is projectively equivalent to $P$. In the present paper, we show that in the convex case this property characterizes Poncelet polygons: if a convex polygon is projectively equivalent to its pentagram image, then it is Poncelet. The proof is based on the theory of commuting difference operators, as well as on properties of real elliptic curves and theta functions.

This paper deals with the following problem. Given a finite extension of fields $\mathbb{L}/\mathbb{K}$ and denoting the trace map from $\mathbb{L}$ to $\mathbb{K}$ by $\text{Tr}$, for which elements $z$ in $\mathbb{L}$, and $a$, $b$ in $\mathbb{K}$, is it possible to write $z$ as a product $xy$, where $x,y\in \mathbb{L}$ with $\text{Tr}(x)=a,\text{Tr}(y)=b$? We solve most of these problems for finite fields, with a complete solution when the degree of the extension is at least 5. We also have results for arbitrary fields and extensions of degrees 2, 3 or 4. We then apply our results to the study of perfect nonlinear functions, semifields, irreducible polynomials with prescribed coefficients, and a problem from finite geometry concerning the existence of certain disjoint linear sets.

We solve a problem posed by Cardinali and Sastry (Elliptic ovoids and their rosettes in a classical generalized quadrangle of even order. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. Math. Sci.126 (2016), 591–612) about factorization of 2-covers of finite classical generalized quadrangles (GQs). To that end, we develop a general theory of cover factorization for GQs, and in particular, we study the isomorphism problem for such covers and associated geometries. As a byproduct, we obtain new results about semi-partial geometries coming from θ-covers, and consider related problems.

We provide a combinatorial characterization of LG(3,6)(${\mathbb{K}}$) using an axiom set which is the natural continuation of the Mazzocca–Melone set we used to characterize Severi varieties over arbitrary fields (Schillewaert and Van Maldeghem, Severi varieties over arbitrary fields, Preprint). This fits within a large project aiming at constructing and characterizing the varieties related to the Freudenthal–Tits magic square.

We discuss n4 configurations of n points and n planes in three-dimensional projective space. These have four points on each plane, and four planes through each point. When the last of the 4n incidences between points and planes happens as a consequence of the preceding 4n−1 the configuration is called a ‘theorem’. Using a graph-theoretic search algorithm we find that there are two 84 and one 94 ‘theorems’. One of these 84 ‘theorems’ was already found by Möbius in 1828, while the 94 ‘theorem’ is related to Desargues’ ten-point configuration. We prove these ‘theorems’ by various methods, and connect them with other questions, such as forbidden minors in graph theory, and sets of electrons that are energy minimal.

New proofs are given of the fundamental results of Bader, Lunardon and Thas relating flocks of the quadratic cone in PG(3, q), q odd, and BLT-sets of Q(4, q). We also show that there is a unique BLT-set of H(3, 9). The model of Penttila for Q(4, q), q odd, is extended to Q(2m, q) to construct partial flocks of size qm/2+m/2 – 1 of the cone kin PG(2m – 1, q) with vertex a point and base Q(2m – 2, q), where q is congruent to 1 or 3 modulo 8 and m is even. These partial flocks are larger than the largest previously known for m > 2. Also, the example of O'Keefe and Thas of a partial flock of k in PG(5, 3) of size 6 is generalised to a partial flock of the cone k of PG(2pn – 1, p) of size 2pn, for any prime p congruent to 1 or 3 modulo 8, with the corresponding partial BLT-set of Q(2pn, p) admitting the symmetric group of degree 2pn + 1.

We demonstrate the existence, in the 5-dimensional projective space over any field J in which 1 + 1 ≠ 0 and −1 is a square, of a non-degenerate double-twenty of planes (ℋ, K) with the property that there is a group of collineations which acts transitively on ℋ ∪ K while each element of the group either maps ℋ onto itself and K onto itself or else swaps ℋ with K. If there is an involutory automorphism of J which swaps the two square roots of −1, then (ℋ, K) is also self-polar (with respect to a unitary polarity). We describe some of the geometry (in both 5-dimensional and 3-dimensional space) associated with the double-twenty (ℋ, K) and its group.

In this paper we prove that if an oval in a finite projective plane of order n ≡ 3 (mod 4) has the four point Pascal property and if each of its tangents and secants has the five point Pascal property, then the plane is Pappian and the oval is a conic.

We also establish results concerning Ostrom conics and ovals with the three point and four point Pascal properties.

This paper studies o-polynomials, that is, polynomials which represent hyperovals in Desarguesian projective planes of even order. We present theoretical restrictions on the form that O-polynomials can have, and we determine the number of o-polynomials corresponding to each of the known classes of hyperovals (other than Cherowitzo's). We use this to give the number of known o-polynomials for the fields of orders 4, 8, 16 and 32. Exploratory computer searches for o-polynomials for fields of small orders greater than 16 are reported.

In this paper we investigate the structure of a collineation group G of a finite projective plane Π of odd order, assuming that G leaves invariant an oval Ω of Π. We show that if G is nonabelian simple, then G ≅ PSL(2, q) for q odd. Several results about the structre and the action of G are also obtained under the assumptions that n ≡ 1 (4) and G is transitive on the points of Ω.

In 1894 Sondat published a theorem that the centre of perspectivity and the 2 orthologic centres of any 2 bilogic (perspective as well as orthologic) triangles lie on a line perpendicular to their axis of perspectivity. Thébault (1952) gave an elementary proof of this theorem. Here we give two new proofs, one synthetic and the other analytic, and then deduce the existence of an orthologic Desargues' figure where all the 10 pairs of perspective triangles in it are orthologic. Consequently we arrive at an orthologic Veronese configuration of 15 points and 10 pairs of perpendicular lines studied in 5 different ways.

Let (A), (B) be a special pair of perspective tetrahedra such that the 4 joins of their corresponding vertices are perpendicular to their plane of perspectivity. It has been already established (Mandan (1977a), p. 573) that they are, in general, skew-orthologic such that the perpendiculars from the vertices of one to the corresponding opposite faces of the other lie in a regulus. Here we give a construction of a special pair of semi-orthologic and orthologic tetrahedra, the said regulus degenerating into 2 pairs of intersecting lines and 4 concurrent lines respectively. Following Thébault ((1952), p. 25; (1955), p. 67), we call them semi-bilogic and bilogic respectively.