A characterization of the Desarguesian and the Figueroa planes of order \(q^{3}\) (Q1631390)

Let \(\Pi\) be a finite projective plane admitting a collineation group \(G\) isomorphic to \(\mathrm{PGL}(3,q)\). If \(\Pi\) has order \(q\), then following from [\textit{T. G. Ostrom} and \textit{A. Wagner}, Math. Z. 71, 186--199 (1959; Zbl 0085.14302)] it is Desarguesian. Similarly, if \(\Pi\) has order \(q^2\), then following from [\textit{H. Lüneburg}, Can. J. Math. 28, 376--402 (1976; Zbl 0353.50015)] it is either the Desarguesian plane or the generalized Hughes plane. In the paper under review, the authors consider the case in which \(\Pi\) has order \(q^3\). From [\textit{U. Dempwolff}, Geom. Dedicata 18, 101--112 (1985; Zbl 0563.51008)], the group \(G\) stabilizes a subplane \(\pi\) isomorphic to \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q)\). By means of an interesting proof involving the linearity of the flocks of 3-dimensional circle geometries together with some easy group theoretical arguments, the authors are able to prove that, if each collineation of \(G\) inducing a homology on \(\pi\) is also a homology of \(\Pi\), then \(\Pi\) is either the Desarguesian or the Figueroa plane.