Imbrex geometries

We introduce an axiom on strong parapolar spaces of diameter 2, which arises naturally in the framework of Hjelmslev geometries. This way, we characterize the Hjelmslev-Moufang plane and its relatives (line Grassmannians, certain half-spin geometries and Segre geometries). At the same time we provide a more general framework for a Lemma of Cohen, which is widely used to study parapolar spaces. As an application, if the geometries are embedded in projective space, we provide a common characterization of (projections of) Segre varieties, line Grassmann varieties, half-spin varieties of low rank, and the exceptional variety $\mathcal{E}_{6,1}$ by means of a local condition on tangent spaces

Quadrangles embedded in metasymplectic spaces

During the final steps in the classification of the Moufang quadrangles by Jacques Tits and Richard Weiss a new class of Moufang quadrangles unexpectedly turned up. Subsequently Bernhard Muhlherr and Hendrik Van Maldeghem showed that this class arises as the fixed points and hyperlines of certain involutions of a metasymplectic space (or equivalently a building of type F_4). In the same paper they also showed that other types of Moufang quadrangles can be embedded in a metasymplectic space as points and hyperlines. In this paper, we reverse the question: given a (thick) quadrangle embedded in a metasymplectic space as points and hyperlines, when is such a quadrangle a Moufang quadrangle

A Combinatorial Grassmannian Representation of the Magic Three-Qubit Veldkamp Line

It is demonstrated that the magic three-qubit Veldkamp line occurs naturally within the Veldkamp space of combinatorial Grassmannian of type $G_2(7)$, $\mathcal{V}(G_2(7))$. The lines of the ambient symplectic polar space are those lines of $\mathcal{V}(G_2(7))$ whose cores feature an odd number of points of $G_2(7)$. After introducing basic properties of three different types of points and six distinct types of lines of $\mathcal{V}(G_2(7))$, we explicitly show the combinatorial Grassmannian composition of the magic Veldkamp line; we first give representatives of points and lines of its core generalized quadrangle GQ$(2,2)$, and then additional points and lines of a specific elliptic quadric $\mathcal{Q}^{-}$(5,2), a hyperbolic quadric $\mathcal{Q}^{+}$(5,2) and a quadratic cone $\widehat{\mathcal{Q}}$(4,2) that are centered on the GQ$(2,2)$. In particular, each point of $\mathcal{Q}^{+}$(5,2) is represented by a Pasch configuration and its complementary line, the (Schl\"afli) double-six of points in $\mathcal{Q}^{-}$(5,2) comprise six Cayley-Salmon configurations and six Desargues configurations with their complementary points, and the remaining Cayley-Salmon configuration stands for the vertex of $\widehat{\mathcal{Q}}$(4,2).Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure

Simple maps, Hurwitz numbers, and Topological Recursion

We introduce the notion of fully simple maps, which are maps with non self-intersecting disjoint boundaries. In contrast, maps where such a restriction is not imposed are called ordinary. We study in detail the combinatorics of fully simple maps with topology of a disk or a cylinder. We show that the generating series of simple disks is given by the functional inversion of the generating series of ordinary disks. We also obtain an elegant formula for cylinders. These relations reproduce the relation between moments and free cumulants established by Collins et al. math.OA/0606431, and implement the symplectic transformation $x \leftrightarrow y$ on the spectral curve in the context of topological recursion. We conjecture that the generating series of fully simple maps are computed by the topological recursion after exchange of $x$ and $y$. We propose an argument to prove this statement conditionally to a mild version of symplectic invariance for the $1$-hermitian matrix model, which is believed to be true but has not been proved yet. Our argument relies on an (unconditional) matrix model interpretation of fully simple maps, via the formal hermitian matrix model with external field. We also deduce a universal relation between generating series of fully simple maps and of ordinary maps, which involves double monotone Hurwitz numbers. In particular, (ordinary) maps without internal faces -- which are generated by the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble -- and with boundary perimeters $(\lambda_1,\ldots,\lambda_n)$ are strictly monotone double Hurwitz numbers with ramifications $\lambda$ above $\infty$ and $(2,\ldots,2)$ above $0$. Combining with a recent result of Dubrovin et al. math-ph/1612.02333, this implies an ELSV-like formula for these Hurwitz numbers.Comment: 66 pages, 7 figure

Partial ovoids and partial spreads in finite classical polar spaces

We survey the main results on ovoids and spreads, large maximal partial ovoids and large maximal partial spreads, and on small maximal partial ovoids and small maximal partial spreads in classical finite polar spaces. We also discuss the main results on the spectrum problem on maximal partial ovoids and maximal partial spreads in classical finite polar spaces

Moufang quadrangles of mixed type

In this paper, we present some geometric characterizations of the Moufang quadrangles of mixed type, i.e., the Moufang quadrangles all the points and lines of which are regular. Roughly, we classify generalized quadrangles with enough (to be made precise) regular points and lines with the property that the dual net associated to the regular points satisfy the Axiom of Veblen-Young, or a very weak version of the Axiom of Desargues. As an application we obtain a geometric characterization and axiomatization of the generalized inversive planes arising from the Suzuki-Tits ovoids related to a polarity in a mixed quadrangle. In the perfect case this gives rise to a characterization with one axiom less than in an already known result by the second author

Strongly regular graphs satisfying the 4-vertex condition

We survey the area of strongly regular graphs satisfying the 4-vertex condition and find several new families. We describe a switching operation on collinearity graphs of polar spaces that produces cospectral graphs. The obtained graphs satisfy the 4-vertex condition if the original graph belongs to a symplectic polar space.Comment: 19 page