Covers of generalized quadrangles

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 theta-covers, and consider related problems

Characterizations of Veronese and Segre varieties

We survey the known and recent characterizations of Segre varieties and Veronesea varieties

Regular pseudo-hyperovals and regular pseudo-ovals in even characteristic

S. Rottey and G. Van de Voorde characterized regular pseudo-ovals of PG(3n−1,q), q=2h, h>1 and n prime. Here an alternative proof is given and slightly stronger results are obtained

A characterization of the finite Veronesean by intersection properties

A combinatorial characterization of the Veronese variety of all quadrics in PG(n, q) by means of its intersection properties with respect to subspaces is obtained. The result relies on a similar combinatorial result on the Veronesean of all conics in the plane PG(2, q) by Ferri, Hirschfeld and Thas, and Thas and Van Maldeghem, and a structural characterization of the quadric Veronesean by Thas and Van Maldeghem

On collineations and dualities of finite generalized polygons

In this paper we generalize a result of Benson to all finite generalized polygons. In particular, given a collineation theta of a finite generalized polygon S, we obtain a relation between the parameters of S and, for various natural numbers i, the number of points x which are mapped to a point at distance i from x by theta. As a special case we consider generalized 2n-gons of order (1,t) and determine, in the generic case, the exact number of absolute points of a given duality of the underlying generalized n-gon of order t