On unitals in \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^2)\) stabilized by a homology group (Q2249650)

A unital in the projective plane PG\((2, q^2)\), \(q\) a power of a prime, is a set \(\mathcal{U}\) of \(q^3+1\) points of the plane such that every line meets \(\mathcal{U}\) in either 1 or \(q+1\) points. An example of a unital in PG\((2, q^2)\) is furnished by the set of absolute points of a unitary polarity; this is called a classical unital (or a Hermitian curve). The group of projectivities preserving a classical unital contains a homology group of order \(q + 1\). The authors prove that if there is a homology group of order \(q+1\) stabilizing a unital \(\mathcal{U}\) of PG\((2, q^2)\), then \(\mathcal{U}\) is necessarily classical.