  Let $b$ be a symmetric or alternating bilinear form on a finite-dimensional
vector space $V$. When the characteristic of the underlying field is not $2$,
we determine the greatest dimension for a linear subspace of nilpotent
$b$-symmetric or $b$-alternating endomorphisms of $V$, expressing it as a
function of the dimension, the rank, and the Witt index of $b$. Similar results
are obtained for subspaces of nilpotent $b$-Hermitian endomorphisms when $b$ is
a Hermitian form with respect to a non-identity involution. In three situations
($b$-symmetric endomorphisms when $b$ is symmetric, $b$-alternating
endomorphisms when $b$ is alternating, and $b$-Hermitian endomorphisms when $b$
is Hermitian and the underlying field has more than $2$ elements), we also
characterize the linear subspaces with the maximal dimension.
  Our results are wide generalizations of results of Meshulam and Radwan, who
tackled the case of a non-degenerate symmetric bilinear form over the field of
complex numbers, and recent results of Bukov\v{s}ek and Omladi\v{c}, in which
the spaces with maximal dimension were determined when the underlying field is
the one of complex numbers, the bilinear form $b$ is symmetric and
non-degenerate, and one considers $b$-symmetric endomorphisms.

Rings and Algebras