2-special normal rational curves in \(\mathrm{PG}(4,q)\) (Q2301254)

Starting from a regular \(1\)-spread inside a hyperplane of \(\operatorname{PG}(4,q)\), one can find a copy of \(\operatorname{PG}(2,q^2)\) inside \(\operatorname{PG}(4,q)\). This is known as the ``Bruck-Bose representation of \(\operatorname{PG}(2,q^2)\) in \(\operatorname{PG}(4,q)\)''. The ``Bose representation of \(\operatorname{PG}(2,q^2)\) in \(\operatorname{PG}(5,q)\)'' gives a way to identify a copy of \(\operatorname{PG}(2,q^2)\) inside of \(\operatorname{PG}(5,q)\) in which points of \(\operatorname{PG}(2,q^2)\) are identified with lines of a regular \(1\)-spread of \(\operatorname{PG}(5,q)\). There is a close relationship between these two ways of representing \(\operatorname{PG}(2,q^2)\). Several authors have studied where curves and other special point sets inside of \(\operatorname{PG}(2,q^2)\) get sent under these correspondences. In this paper, the authors give a characterization of \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-conics of \(\operatorname{PG}(2,q^2)\) in terms of normal rational curves of \(\operatorname{PG}(4,q)\) with a special relationship to the transversal lines of the spread defining the Bruck-Bose representation. They also consider the representation of these conics and related objects in the \(\operatorname{PG}(5,q)\) Bose setting. In earlier work [Innov. Incidence Geom. 17, No. 2, 85--107; (2019; Zbl 1419.51005)], the authors showed that an \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-conic in a Baer subplane tangent to \(\ell_\infty\) in \(\operatorname{PG}(2,q^2)\) corresponds in the Bruck-Bose representation in \(\operatorname{PG}(4,q)\) to a `\(g\)-special' normal rational curve of order \(3\) or \(4\). In this paper, the authors show that, taking into account intersections with the hyperplane at infinity, such a conic gets sent to a (possibly reducible) quartic rational curve. The authors analyze the different possibilities in Theorem 5.1 and Corollary 5.2. They define a normal rational curve in \(\operatorname{PG}(4,q)\) that intersects the hyperplane at infinity in a particular way to be `\(2\)-special', and use this notion to characterize the \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-conics of \(\operatorname{PG}(2,q^2)\). The authors indicate that they assume that the reader is already familiar with the Bruck-Bose representation, the Bose representation, and the interaction between them. For readers who do not know these concepts that well, it is very helpful to keep a reference available, such as Section 3.4 of \textit{S. Barwick} and \textit{G. Ebert} [Unitals in projective planes. New York, NY: Springer (2008; Zbl 1156.51006)].