Rational normal curves as no-$(d+2)$-on-$Q$-quadric sets

Abstract

For every $d\geq 2$, we construct a subset $D\subseteq \{1,2,\dots,n\}^d$ of size $n-o(n)$ such that every affine hyperplane of $\mathbb{R}^d$ intersects $D$ in at most $d$ points, and every hypersphere of $\mathbb{R}^n$ intersects $D$ in at most $d+1$ points. This construction is the largest one currently known, and strongly builds on ideas of Dong, Xu, and also of Thiele. More generally, we prove that the role of hyperspheres can be replaced by $Q$-quadrics, i.e. by quadratic surfaces given by an equation whose degree two homogeneous part equals a fixed quadratic form $Q$. We formulate analogous statements in affine spaces over (finite) fields. Essentially, every construction is given by a suitable rational normal curve in a $d$-dimensional projective space.