j-planes (Q757834)

The authors consider a class of translation planes defined as follows. Let \(K\cong GF(q)\) and let \(x^ 2+ax+b\) be an irreducible polynomial over K. Then the set F of matrices of the following form is a field of order \(q^ 2:\) \[ M=\left( \begin{matrix} s\\ -tb\end{matrix} \begin{matrix} t\\ s+ta\end{matrix} \right),\quad s,t\in K. \] Therefore \(F^*=F-\{0\}\) is a cyclic group of order \(q^ 2-1.\) Chosen a nonnegative integer j, let us consider the following \(q^ 2+1\) equations in Vect(4,K): \[ x_ 1=x_ 2=0,\quad x_ 3=x_ 4=0,\quad (x_ 1,x_ 2 \det (M))M=(x_ 3,x_ 4),\quad M\in F^*. \] These equations define a spread, hence a translation plane of order \(q^ 2\), if and only if: \[ (s^ 2+sta+t^ 2b)^{j+1}-(s^ 2+sta+t^ 2b)^ j(s+tb)+(1-s)\neq 0, \] for all s,t\(\in K\) with (s,t)\(\neq (0,0).\) The translation planes obtained in this way are called j-planes by the authors. It is remarkable that for \(j=0\) Desarguesian planes are obtained and that the translation planes constructed by \textit{W. Kantor} in Can. J. Math. 34, 1195-1207 (1982; Zbl 0467.51004) are 1-planes. The authors throuroughly investigate properties of j-planes. They also construct infinite classes of examples. Apart from 0- and 1-planes, mentioned above, they construct \((p^ r-1)/2-\)planes of order \(p^{2n}\) (n\(\geq r\), p odd) and 2-planes of order \(5^{2n}\) and of order \(p^{2n}=\pm 2\quad (mod 5).\) Furthermore, they give a construction producing \(((q- 1)/2+j)-\)planes from j-planes of order \(q^ 2\). The authors also have checked by computer which j-planes exist of order \(p^ 2\) with p prime \(<100.\) They have found 40 additional examples, non included in the families mentioned above.