Finite flag-transitive semiovals (Q1176377)

Let \({\mathbf P}\) be a projective plane and \(S\) a subset of the set of points of \({\mathbf P}\). By \({\mathbf S}\) is denoted the linear space induced on \(S\) by \({\mathbf P}\) (its points are those of \(S\), its lines are intersections with \(S\) of the lines of \({\mathbf P}\)). \(S\) is a semioval iff \(S\neq\emptyset\) and every point of \(S\) is on exactly one tangent. A thick semioval is a semioval meeting all secants in at least 3 points. A linear space \({\mathbf S}\) is called to be \((v,k)\)-regular if the number of its points is \(v\) and if each of its lines is incident with \(k\) points. A semioval \(S\) is \((v,k)\)- regular. The set of absolute points of a Hermitian polarity in \(PG(2,q^ 2)\) is a thick \((q^ 3+1,q+1)\)-regular semioval, the linear space \({\mathbf S}\) is then denoted by \(U_ H(q)\). The main result of the paper, which classifies completely the finite thick flag-transitive semiovals, is the following theorem: Let \(S\) be a thick semioval in a finite projective plane \({\mathbf P}\). If \(G\leq\hbox{Aut} {\mathbf P}\) stabilizes \(S\) and acts flag-transitively on \(S\), then \({\mathbf P}=PG(2,q^ 2)\), \({\mathbf S}\cong U_ H(q)\) and \(G\) is any subgroup of \(P\Gamma U(3,q)\) acting 2-transitively on \(S\).