Counting arcs in projective planes via Glynn's algorithm (Q1685543)

An \(m\)-arc in a projective plane is a set of \(m\) points of which no three are collinear. Let \(\Pi\) be any projective plane of order \(n\). Denote by \(C_m(\Pi)\) the number of ordered \(m\)-arcs of \(\Pi\). When \(\Pi\) is a Desarguesian plane of order \(q\), denote \(C_m(\Pi)\) as \(C_m(q)\). The main result of the paper is that the number of ordered \(9\)-arcs in a projective plane \(\Pi\) of order \(n\) equals \[ \begin{aligned} C_9(\Pi) &= n^{18} - 75n^{17} + 2529n^{16} - 50392n^{15} + 655284n^{14} \\ & - 5787888n^{13} + 34956422n^{12} - 141107418n^{11} + 356715069n^{10} \\ & -477084077n^9 + 143263449n^8 + 237536370n^7 + 52873326n^6 \\ & - 2811240n^5 - 588466080n^4 + 389304720 n^3 \\ & + (-36n^4 + 1692n^3 - 29052n^2 + 212148n - 539784) A_{7}(\Pi) \\ & + (9n^2 - 243n + 1647) A_{8}(\Pi) - A_{9_{3}}(\Pi) - A_{9_{4}}(\Pi) \\ & - A_{9_{5}}(\Pi) + A_{9_{7}}(\Pi) - 3 A_{9_{10}}(\Pi) + 3 A_{9_{11}}(\Pi) - 9 A_{9_{12}}(\Pi). \end{aligned} \] The numbers \(A_{n_k}(\Pi)\) are related to particular combinatorial configurations, as is well explained in the paper. The authors state that the numbers \(A_7(\Pi), A_8(\Pi)\), and \(A_{9_i}(\Pi)\) for each \(i\) are computed in [\textit{A. Iampolskaia} et al., IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory 41, No. 6, 1667--1671 (1995; Zbl 0856.94024)], and that there is a minor error in the computation of \(A_{9_3}(\Pi)\). Note that for the required numbers \(A_{n_k}(\Pi)\) and \(C_4(\Pi)\) their value is only dependent on the order of the projective plane \(\Pi\). As indicated in the paper, by \textit{D. Glynn} [J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 49, No. 1, 26--66 (1988; Zbl 0661.51009)] (Theorem 4.1), \(C_4(\Pi) = (n^2+n+1)(n^2+n)n^2(n-1)^2 = C_4(n)\), and, \(A_7(n) \;= 30a(n)C_4(n)\) \(A_8(n) \;= 840b(n)C_4(n)\) \(A_{9_3}(n) = 3360((n - 2 - b(n))(n - 5) + (n - 3)b(n))C_4(n)\) \(A_{9_4}(n) = 40320(n - 2 - b(n))C_4(n)\) \(A_{9_5}(n) = 30240(n - 3)(1 - a(n))C_4(n)\) \(A_{9_6}(n) = 30240(n - 2)a(n)C_4(n)\) \(A_{9_7}(n) \;= 60480(e(n) - a(n))C_4(n)\) \(A_{9_8}(n) \;= 10080(n - 2 - b(n))C_4(n)\) \(A_{9_9}(n) \;= 0\) \(A_{9_{10}}(n) = 1680b(n)C_4(n)\) \(A_{9_{11}}(n) = 90720d(n)C_4(n)\) \(A_{9_{12}}(n) = 30240c(n)C_4(n)\). where \[ \begin{aligned} a(q) & = \begin{cases} 1 & \text{ if } 2 \mid q, \\ 0 & \text{ otherwise}; \end{cases} \\ b(q) = & |\{x \in \mathrm{GF}(q): x^2 + x + 1 = 0\}|, \\ c(q) & = \begin{cases} 1 & \text{ if } 3 \mid q, \\ 0 & \text{ otherwise}; \end{cases}\\ d(q) & = |\{x \in \mathrm{GF}(q): x^2 + x - 1 = 0\}|, \\ e(q) & = |\{x \in \mathrm{GF}(q): x^2 + 1 = 0\}|. \end{aligned} \] The second part of the paper is devoted to the description of an algorithm to express the number \(A_s(\Pi)\) in terms of numbers \(A_f(\Pi)\) where \(f\) is a so-called superfiguration. Furthermore, an approach to count the number of larger arcs using the described techniques is given in the final section.