On the classification of semifield flocks. (Q1417995)

The main result of this paper is the following one: Let \({\mathcal F}\) be a flock of a quadratic cone over the field \(\text{GF}(g^n)\) associated with a semifield plane with kernel \(\text{GF}(q)\), and such that \(q\geq 4n^2- 8n+ 2\), then \({\mathcal F}\) is a linear flock (all planes of the flock contain a fixed line), or a Kantor-Knuth flock (all planes of the flock contain a fixed point). The main ingredient of the proof is a characterization of quadratic polynomials over \(\text{GF}(g^n)\) with the property that, whenever one plugs in an element of \(\text{GF}(q)\), one gets a square of \(\text{GF}(g^n)\). This allows the authors to prove that there are no subplanes of order \(q\) in a plane of order \(q^n\) entirely consisting of internal points of a nondegenerate conic, if \(q\geq 4n^2- 8n+ 2\), from which the main result follows. It should be noted that whenever mentioning their main result, the authors almost always forget to add that the kernel is assumed to be \(\text{GF}(q)\).