Linear sets on the projective line with complementary weights (Q2138985)

Linear sets are pointsets in a finite projective space that generalize in a natural way the subgeometries. In particular, by assigning a weight to their points, the \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-linear sets of rank \(t\) of \(\mathrm{PG}(r-1, q^n)\) mimic the \((t-1)\)-dimensional projective subspaces of \(\mathrm{PG}(rn-1, q)\). Since they turned out to be an important tool to construct or classify different geometrical and algebraic objects, as for instance ovoids of polar spaces and linear codes, the interest in these sets increased constantly. In the paper under review, the authors consider \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-linear sets of rank at most \(n\) on the projective line \(\mathrm{PG}(1, q^n)\) with two points \(P_1, P_2\) of complementary weights, that is, the sum of the weights of \(P_1\) and \(P_2\) equals the rank of the linear set. If the rank is \(n\), a description of these linear sets is provided by means of linearized polynomials. Note that in the case when exactly one point has weight greater than one, it is known that there is exactly one \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-linear set of rank \(n\) up to projectivities. Here, examples of \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-linear set of rank \(n\) having precisely two points of weights greater than one are exhibited and their \(\Gamma\mathrm{L}(2,q^n)\)-equivalence issue is addressed. Finally, the linearized polynomials defining a family of linear sets with minimum size are determined.