Intransitive collineation groups of ovals fixing a triangle (Q1395815): Difference between revisions

Let \(\pi\) be a finite projective plane of odd order \(n\) containing an oval \(\Omega\). In the paper the authors investigate the existence of a collineation group \(G\) of \(\pi\) fixing \(\Omega\) and such that the action of \(G\) on \(\Omega\) yields precisely two orbits \(\Omega_1\) and \(\Omega_2\), the order of \(G\) is even and it has a faithful primitive action on \(\Omega_2\), and such that \(G\) fixes neither points nor lines but fixes a triangle \(ABC\) in which the point \(A, B, C\) are not on the oval \(\Omega\). In the paper they clearly explain why they are investigating this kind of situation. From the conditions one can assume that \(|\Omega_1|>3\) and \(|\Omega_2|\geq 3\), moreover one can prove that \(G\) contains involutory homologies with center and axis on the fixed triangle \(ABC\), from which follows that \(G\) is either isomorphic to \(A_4\) or to \(S_4\). If a side of the triangle \(ABC\), and hence all sides are secant to \(\Omega\), then \(\pi\) is either the desarguesian plane of order 9 or the Hughes plane of order 9. In either case \(\Omega_2\) is an oval in a Baer subplane and both possibilities \(G \cong A_4\) or \(G\cong S_4\) do occur. If the sides of the triangle \(ABC\) are exterior lines of \(\Omega\) then \(\pi\) is either the plane of order 7 (easy case) or one of the planes of order 27. Examples for which \(n=27\) and \(G \cong S_4\) exist in the desarguesian plane as well as in the Figueroa plane; the situation for the other known planes of order 27 is still open. In their proof the authors rely on another paper of them, in which they prove (using computer calculations) that a projective plane of order 15 with an \(A_4\)-invariant oval does not exist.