Note on the order of magnitude of k for complete k-arcs in PG(2,q) (Q1091608)

A k-arc in \(PG(2,q)\), \(q=p^ h\) with p prime, is a set of k points no three on a line; it is called complete if it is not contained in a larger arc. A difficult question is to determine, for a given q, the size of the smallest and of the second largest complete k-arc. It is shown by means of two constructions that the set \(A=\{k/q |\) there exists a complete k-arc in \(PG(2,q)\}\) is dense in the interval \([0,1/2]\). The first construction yields a complete k-arc, most of whose points are on a conic, where \(k=rq/p+2\) and r is any integer such that \(1/3p<r<1/2p.\) The second construction uses maximal 3-independent sets to find a k-arc with most of its points on a cuspidal cubic curve where, roughly, \(k=rq/p\) and is any integer such that \(1<r<1/3p;\) [cf. the author's paper, Geom. Dedicata 18, 161-172 (1985; Zbl 0566.51012)].