On 1-blocking sets in \(PG(n,q), n\geq 3\) (Q5926327)

Let \(PG(n, q)\) be the \(n\)-dimensional projective space over the finite field \({\mathbf F}_q\). A \(k\)-blocking set in \(PG(n, q)\), \(k\geq 1\), is a set of points \(\mathfrak K\) such that any \((n - k)\)-dimensional subspace intersects \(\mathfrak K\). The smallest examples are the \(k\)-dimensional subspaces of \(PG(n, q)\). The authors study \(1\)-blocking sets in \(PG(n, q)\). A \(1\)-blocking set \(\mathfrak K\) is called trivial when it contains a line, and if no proper subset of \(\mathfrak K\) is a blocking set, then \(\mathfrak K\) is called minimal. When \(n = 2\) a \(1\)-blocking set is called a planar blocking set (or a blocking set). A Baer subplane and a unital in \(PG(2, q^2)\) are examples of minimal non-trivial blocking sets, and the former is the smallest blocking set in \(PG(2, q^2)\) [cf \textit{A. A. Bruen}, Can. J. Math. 32, 628-630 (1980; Zbl 0445.51014)]. In the literature we can find several papers on blocking sets, and recently a number of people has addressed the attention to the problem of finding the size of the second smallest minimal blocking set in \(PG(2, q^2)\). As regards \(1\)-blocking sets in \(PG(n, q)\), \(n >2\), fewer result are known. In the paper under review, the authors consider the problem of finding an upper bound on the size of a \(1\)-blocking set \(\mathfrak K\) in \(PG(n, q)\) in order that \(\mathfrak K\) contains a minimal blocking set in a plane (a first result on this question was presented by \textit{U. Heim} [Discrete Math. 174, No. 1-3, 167-176 (1997; Zbl 0904.51003)]). The authors prove the following result: Let \(s(q^2)\) be the cardinality of the second smallest blocking set in \(PG(2, q^2)\), and let \(\mathfrak K\) be a \(1\)-blocking set in \(PG(n, q^2)\), \(n\geq 3\), \(q = p^h\), \(h\geq 1\), \(p > 3\) prime, with \(|{\mathfrak K}|\leq s(q^2)\). Then \(\mathfrak K\) contains a line or a planar blocking set of \(PG(n, q^2)\). Moreover, if \(\mathfrak K\) is minimal then \(\mathfrak K\) is a line or a minimal blocking set of \(PG(n, q^2)\). The proof uses projections of \(\mathfrak K\) on hyperplanes and goes by induction. Finally in the last section of the paper they classify minimal \(1\)-blocking sets of \(PG(n, q^3)\), \(n\geq 3\), \(q = p^h\), \(h\geq 1\), \(p\) prime, \(p\geq 5\), \(q\neq 5\) of size at most \(q^3 + q^2 + q + 1\). A starting point in the proof of this classification theorem is a result on minimal blocking sets in the plane \(PG(2, q^3)\) of the first author and O. Polverino [cf. \textit{O. Polverino} and \textit{L. Storme}, Minimal blocking sets in \(PG(2, q^3)\) (submitted)].