Nuclei of point sets of size \(q+1\) contained in the union of two lines in \(PG(2,q)\) (Q1323479)

Let \(S\) be a set of \(q+1\) points in a desarguesian projective plane \(PG(2,q)\). A point \(z\) of \(PG(2,q)\) is called a nucleus of \(S\) if each line of \(PG(2,q)\) through \(z\) meets \(S\) exactly once (sometimes these points are called the external nuclei of \(S)\). We denote by \(N(S)\) the set of all nuclei of \(S\). The authors determine all \((q+1)\)-sets \(S\) contained in the union of two lines which admit at least two nuclei. All these sets can be constructed by the following procedure. Write \(q=p^ r\) with \(p\) prime, \(r\geq 2\). Let \(h\leq r\) and let \(d\) be a common divisor of \(r\) and \(h\) and let \(t\) be a divisor \(t\) of \(p^ d-1\). The Galois-field \(GF(q)\) contains a subfield \(GF(q')\), where \(q'=p^ d\) and the multiplicative group of \(GF(q')\) contains a subgroup \(A\) of order \(t\). Let \(B\) be a \(GF(q')\)-subspace \((GF(q)\) is considered as vector space over \(GF(q'))\) of \(GF(q)\) of dimension \(h/d\) over \(GF(q')\). If we denote by \(\Sigma\) the affine group of \(AG(1,q)\), then \(G:=\{x\mapsto ax+b:a\in A,b\in B\}\) is a subgroup of \(\Sigma\). The orbits of \(G\) on \(GF(q)\) are \(B\) and \(m=(p^{r-h}-1)/t\) further orbits \(O_ 1,\dots,O_ m\) of order \(p^ ht\). In the affine plane \(AG(2,q)\subseteq PG(2,q)\) let \(L_ 0\), \(L_ 1\) be the lines given by \(y=0\), \(y=1\) respectively and let \(z\) be the infinite point in the horizontal direction. Pick one between \(B\times\{0\}\), \(B\times\{1\}\) and for each \(1\leq i\leq m\) one between \(O_ i\times\{0\}\), \(O_ i\times\{1\}\) and let \(S\) be the union of all these sets together with the point \(z\). The set \(N(S)\) of nuclei of the above set \(S\) is explicitly determined and it is shown to be a \([0,1,t,p^ h]\)-set in \(PG(2,q)\). This result is used to study Redei pairs \((S,L)\) in which \(S\) is contained in the union of two lines.