The theory of buildings was introduced by J Tits in order to focus on geometric and combinatorial aspects of simple groups of Lie type. Since then the theory has blossomed into an extremely active field of mathematical research having deep connections with topics as diverse as algebraic groups, arithmetic groups, finite simple groups, and finite geometries, as well as with graph theory and other aspects of combinatorics. This volume is an up-to-date survey of the theory of buildings with special emphasis on its interaction with related geometries. As such it will be an invaluable guide to all those whose research touches on these themes. The articles presented here are by experts in their respective fields and are based on talks given at the 1988 Buildings and Related Geometries conference at Pingree Park, Colorado. Topics covered include the classification and construction of buildings, finite groups associated with building-like geometries, graphs and association schemes.

A q-clan with q a power of 2 is equivalent to a certain generalized quadrangle with a family of subquadrangles each associated with an oval in the Desarguesian plane of order 2. It is also equivalent to a flock of a quadratic cone, and hence to a line-spread of 3-dimensional projective space and thus to a translation plane, and more. These geometric objects are tied together by the so-called Fundamental Theorem of q-Clan Geometry. The book gives a complete proof of this theorem, followed by a detailed study of the known examples. The collineation groups of the associated generalized quadrangles and the stabilizers of their associated ovals are worked out completely.