Codewords for projective planes from sets of type \((s,t)\) (Q1329076)

The main purpose of this note is to prove the following beautiful Theorem: Let \(\Pi^*=({\mathcal P}^*,{\mathcal L}^*)\) be a projective plane of order \(n^ 2\) and let \(\Pi = ({\mathcal P}, {\mathcal L})\) be a Baer subplane of \(\Pi^*\). Let \(p\) be a prime dividing \(n\). Suppose that \(\Pi\) contains a set \({\mathcal K} \subseteq {\mathcal P}\) of size \(k\) and such that every line of \(\Pi\) meets \({\mathcal K}\) in \(s\) or \(t\) points, with \(s \neq t\). Let \({\mathcal L}_ j = \{L | L \in {\mathcal L}\), \(| \cap {\mathcal K} | = j\}\), for \(j \in \{s,t\}\), and \({\mathcal L}^*_ j = \{L | L \in {\mathcal L}^* \& L \cap {\mathcal P} \in {\mathcal L}_ j\}\). Set \({\mathcal P}_ j = \bigcup_{x \in L \in {\mathcal L}^*_ j} \{x\} - {\mathcal P}\). Then \[ | {\mathcal P}_ s | = (n^ 2 - n) \bigl( k(n + 1) - t(n^ 2 + n + 1) \bigr)/(s - t), \] \[ | {\mathcal P}_ t | = (n^ 2 - n) \bigl( k(n + 1) - s(n^ 2 + n + 1) \bigr)/(t - s) \] and if \(n/(t - s) \equiv 0 \pmod p\) then the incidence vectors of both \({\mathcal P}_ s\) and \({\mathcal P}_ t\) are in the orthogonal code \(C^ \perp\), where \(C\) is the code of \(\Pi\). If also \((k-s)/(t-s) \equiv 0 \pmod p\), then the incidence vectors of \({\mathcal P}_ t\) are in the hull, \(C \cap C^ \perp\). The terminology can be found in \textit{D. R. Hughes} and \textit{F. C. Piper} [`Projective planes,' Springer, New York (1973; Zbl 0267.50018)] (for projective planes in general) and \textit{E. F. Assmus} jun. and the first author [`Designs and their codes', Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge (1992; Zbl 0762.05001)] (for codes related to planes).