Small point sets of \(\text{PG}(n, q ^{3})\) intersecting each \(k\)-subspace in 1 mod \(q\) points (Q2638409)

A blocking set \(B\) with respect to the \(k\)-spaces in the projective space PG\((n, q)\), \(q = p^h\), \(p\) prime, is a set of points intersecting every \(k\)-space of PG\((n, q)\) in at least one point. A blocking set \(B\) is called minimal when no proper subset of \(B\) still is a blocking set. A blocking set \(B\) with respect to the \(k\)-spaces in PG\((n,q)\) is called small when the size of \(B\) is smaller than \(3(q^{n-k}+1)/2\). The known examples of small minimal blocking sets are the linear blocking sets. The linearity conjecture regarding small minimal blocking sets in finite Desarguesian projective spaces states that all small minimal blocking sets in finite Desarguesian projective spaces are linear blocking sets. This article contributes to the solution of this linearity conjecture by showing that every small minimal blocking set in PG\((n,q^3)\), \(q=p^h\), \(p\geq 7\) prime, intersecting every \(k\)-space in \(1\pmod{q}\) points, is a linear blocking set. This result was independently obtained by M. Lavrauw, L. Storme, and G. Van de Voorde. This article is the second of the two authors on this characterization problem on small minimal blocking sets. In a first article, N.V. Harrach, K. Metsch, T. Szőnyi, and Zs. Weiner characterized the small minimal blocking sets in PG\((n,q^3)\) intersecting every line in \(1\pmod{q}\) points. As an additional result, the authors give the classification of the small linear blocking sets of PG\((n,q^3)\) intersecting every \((n-2)\)-space in \(1\pmod{q}\) points. This latter result is similar to the classification of the small linear blocking sets of PG\((2,q^4)\) intersecting every line in \(1\pmod{q}\) points by \textit{G. Bonoli} and \textit{O. Polverino} [Innov. Incidence Geom. 2, 35--56 (2005; Zbl 1103.51006)].