M.D.S. codes and arcs in \(\mathrm{PG}(n,q)\) with \(q\) even: an improvement of the bounds of Bruen, Thas, and Blokhuis (Q1208044)

A \(k\)-arc in \(\mathrm{PG}(n,q)\), the \(n\)-dimensional projective space over \(\mathrm{GF}(q)\), is a set \(K\) of \(k\) points of \(\mathrm{PG}(n,q)\), \(k\geq n+1\), with the property that no \(n+1\) points of \(K\) lie in a hyperplane. It is well known that \(k\)-arcs in \(\mathrm{PG}(n,q)\) and linear MDS codes of dimension \(n+1\) and length \(k\) over \(\mathrm{GF}(q)\) are equivalent objects. A normal rational curve in \(\mathrm{PG}(n,q)\), \(2\leq n\leq q-2\), is a \((q+1)\)-arc that is projectively equivalent to the \((q+1)\)-arc given, in homogeneous coordinates, by \(\{(1,t,\ldots,t^n)\); \(t\in \mathrm{GF}(q)\}\cup\{(0,\ldots,0,1)\}\). The authors improve several previous bounds of \textit{A. A. Bruen}, \textit{J. A. Thas} and \textit{A. Blokhuis} [Invent. Math. 92, No. 3, 441--459 (1988; Zbl 0654.94014)] concerning embeddability of \(k\)-arcs into \(k'\)-arcs with \(k'>k\), as well as into normal rational curves.