Bruck nets, codes, and characters of loops (Q1179515)

The author has conjectured the following: `Let \({\mathfrak N}_ k\) be any \(k\)-net of order \(n\), and let \({\mathfrak N}_{k-1}\) be any \((k-1)\)-subnet thereof. If \(p\) is any prime dividing \(n\) at most once, then \(\text{rank}_ p{\mathfrak N}_ k-\text{rank}_ p{\mathfrak N}_{k-1}\geq n- k+1\).' This conjecture has been verified in case \(k=3\), using characters of loops. It has been shown that the validity of this conjecture implies that any projective plane of squarefree order, or of order \(n\equiv 2\bmod 4\), is desarguesian of prime order. It has also been proved that the conjectured lower bound holds with equality in the case of desarguesian nets which leads to an easy description of an explicit basis for the \(F_ p\)-code of \(AG(2,p)\).