Projective planes with a regular collineation group and a question about powers of a prime (Q1204435)

Let \(v(x)=x^ 2+x+1\). The main result of this paper is that if \(x\) is a prime power \(p^ k\) and \(v(x)=q^ a\), then \(a=1\). Furthermore, if \(q\) is a prime then \(k\) is a power of 3 (including the case \(k=1)\). There are several implications for finite projective planes admitting Singer groups: the most important seems to the reviewer to be that the Sylow 2- groups of the multiplier group must be cyclic. Remark: In an old paper [Can. J. Math. 5, 421-424 (1953; Zbl 0052.039)] the reviewer has two somewhat related results; (here \(n\) is the order of a cyclic plane). 1. The only difference sets for \(n\) less than \(1600^ 2\) for which there is a multiplier of even order are those in which \(n\) is an even power of a prime. 2. Let \(N_ 1\) be a prime factor of \(N=v(n)\). We say that \(N_ 1\) is of type II if every multiplier mod \(N\) belongs to the same exponent mod \(N\) as it does mod \(N_ 1\). The multipliers form a cyclic group if \(N\) contains a prime factor \(N_ 1\) of type II.