In 1960, Hoffman and Singleton cite{HS60} solved a celebrated equation for square matrices of order $n$, which can be written as $$ (kappa - 1) I_n + J_n - A A^{rm T} = A$$ where $I_n$, $J_n$, and $A$ are the identity matrix, the all one matrix, and a $(0,1)$--matrix with all row and column sums equal to $kappa$, respectively. If $A$ is an incidence matrix of some configuration $cal C$ of type $n_kappa$, then the left-hand side $Theta(A):= (kappa - 1)I_n + J_n - A A^{rm T}$ is an adjacency matrix of the non--collinearity graph $Gamma$ of $cal C$. In certain situations, $Theta(A)$ is also an incidence matrix of some $n_kappa$ configuration, namely the neighbourhood geometry of $Gamma$ introduced by Lef`evre-Percsy, Percsy, and Leemans cite{LPPL}. The matrix operator $Theta$ can be reiterated and we pose the problem of solving the generalised Hoffman--Singleton equation $Theta^m(A)=A$. In particular, we classify all $(0,1)$--matrices $M$ with all row and column sums equal to $kappa$, for $kappa = 3,4$, which are solutions of this equation. As a by--product, we obtain characterisations for incidence matrices of the configuration $10_3F$ in Kantors list cite{Kantor} and the $17_4$ configuration $#1971$ in Betten and Bettens list cite{BB99}.
Download