Cyclic caps in \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q)\) (Q1900074)

A \(k\)-cap \(K\) on \(\mathrm{PG}(n,q)\) is a set of \(k\) points, no three of which are collinear. \(K\) is complete if it cannot be extended to a \(k + 1\) cap. If \(K\) is invariant under a cyclic subgroup (which acts regularly on \(K)\) of \(\mathrm{PGL}(n + 1,q)\), then \(K\) is cyclic. The authors show that if \(q\) is even, the only complete cyclic \(k\)-caps in \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q)\) are elliptic quadrics. If \(q\) is odd then, beside the elliptic quadrics, there are cyclic \(k\)-caps containing \(\tfrac12 k\) points of two disjoint elliptic quadrics or two disjoint hyperbolic quadric. There exists cyclic \(k\)-caps stabilized by a transitive cyclic group which fixes exactly one point and one plane. The cyclic group is represented by a 4 by 4 matrix. The results come from an analysis of the eigenvalues of the matrix and the fixed points or planes of the resulting transformation.