Translation hyperovals and \(\mathbb{F}_2\)-linear sets of pseudoregulus type (Q785569)

This article presents a characterisation result on translation hyperovals in \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^k)\), which generalises a result of \textit{S. G. Barwick} and \textit{W.-A. Jackson} [Des. Codes Cryptography 80, No. 2, 317--332 (2016; Zbl 1354.51010)] on the characterisation of translation hyperovals in \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^2)\). The ideas involve field reduction and linear sets. Let \(V\) be an \(r\)-dimensional vector space over the finite field \(\mathbb{F}_{q^n}\). Let \(\Omega\) be the projective space \(\mathrm{PG}(V) = \mathrm{PG}(r-1,q^n)\). A set \(T\) is called an \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-linear set of \(\Omega \) of rank \(t\) when \(T\) is defined by the set of non-zero vectors of an \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-vector subspace \(U\) of \(V\) of dimension \(t\). Linear sets and the related concept of field reduction have given much new insight in geometrical structures in finite projective spaces. For instance, linear sets are linked to semifield planes, blocking sets, and also MRD codes. This is why, for instance, characterisation results on geometrical structures under field reduction are investigated. The authors of this article precisely do this for translation hyperovals in \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^k)\), and prove the following characterisation result (Theorem 1). Let \({\mathcal Q}\) be a set of \(q^k\) affine points in \(\mathrm{PG}(2k,q)\), \(q=2^h\), \(h\geq 4\), \(k\geq 2\), determining a set \(D\) of \(q^k-1\) directions in the hyperplane at infinity \(H_\infty = \mathrm{PG}(2k-1,q)\). Suppose that every line has \(0, 1,3\) or \(q-1\) points in common with the point set \(D\). Then \begin{enumerate} \item \(D\) is an \(\mathbb{F}_2\)-linear set of pseudoregulus type. \item There exists a Desarguesian spread \({\mathcal S}\) in \(H_\infty\) such that, in the Bruck-Bose plane \({\mathcal P}({\mathcal S})\cong \mathrm{PG}(2,q^k)\), with \(H_\infty\) corresponding to the line \(\ell_\infty\), the points of \({\mathcal Q}\) together with 2 extra points on \(\ell_\infty\), form a translation hyperoval in \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^k)\). \end{enumerate} Vice versa, via the André/Bruck-Bose construction, the set of affine points of a translation hyperoval in \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^k)\), \(q>4\), \(k\geq 2\), corresponds to a set \({\mathcal Q}\) of \(q^k\) affine points in \(\mathrm{PG}(2k,q)\) whose set of determined directions \(D\) is an \(\mathbb{F}_2\)-linear set of pseudoregulus type. Consequently, every line meets \(D\) in \(0,1,3\) or \(q-1 \) points.