On planes through points off the twisted cubic in \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q)\) and multiple covering codes (Q1994925): Difference between revisions

The twisted cubic is a set of \(q+1\) points in \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q)\) projectively equivalent to the set \(\{(1,t,t^2,t^3)\mid t\in \mathbb{F}_q\}\cup (0,0,0,1)\). Its properties, as well as the different orbits of the action of its stabiliser on points and planes of \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q)\) are well understood (see [\textit{J. W. P. Hirschfeld}, Finite projective spaces of three dimensions. Oxford: Oxford University Press (1985; Zbl 0574.51001)]). In particular, when \(q\geq 5\), there are \(5\) point orbits and \(5\) plane orbits say \(\mathcal{M}_j\) and \(\mathcal{N}_i\), \(1\leq i,j\leq 5\) respectively. The number of points of \(\mathcal{M}_j\) in a plane of \(\mathcal{N}_i\) is a constant (denoted by \(k_{ij}\) in this paper), and likewise, the number of planes of \(\mathcal{M}_j\) through a point of \(\mathcal{N}_i\) is a constant (denoted by \(r_{ij}\) in this paper). In their first main theorem, the authors use counting techniques to determine the \(25\) values of each of the numbers \(k_{ij}\) and \(r_{ij}\) and some extra properties of this incidence matrix. They deal with the exceptional cases of \(q=2,3,4\) separately. Finally, the authors note that the twisted cubic gives rise to a minimal \((2,\mu)\)-saturating \((q+1)\)-set, where \(\mu\) is roughly \(q^2/6\) and follows from the work done earlier in the paper. Furthermore, they note that the twisted cubic gives rise to an asymptotically optimal collection of so-called MCF codes.