Maximum scattered \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-linear sets of \(\mathrm{PG}(1,q^4)\) (Q2411596)

Let \(\mathrm{PG}(1,q^t)\) denote the projective line over the finite field \(\mathbb{F}_{q^t}\). Each point of \(\mathrm{PG}(1,q^t)\) is the \(\mathbb{F}_{q^t}\)-span of a non-zero vector \(v\) in \(W=\mathbb{F}_{q^t}^2\) . For an \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-subspace \(U\) of \(W\), let \(L_U = \{\langle v\rangle_{\mathbb{F}_{q^t}} \;:\;v \in U \setminus \{0\}\}\) denote the associated \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-linear set of \(\mathrm{PG}(1, q^t )\). The rank of \(L_U\) is defined as \(r = \dim_{\mathbb{F}_q}(U)\). If a linear set of rank \(r\) has exactly \(\frac{q^r-1}{q-1}\) points then it is called a scattered linear set. A scattered linear set of rank \(t\) in \(\mathrm{PG}(1,q^t)\) is called a maximum scattered linear set. Any subset of \(\mathrm{PG}(1, q^t )\) equivalent, under the action of \(\mathrm{PGL}(2, q^t )\), to \(L_V\) with \(V = \{(u, u^q) \;: \;u \in \mathbb{F}_{q^t} \}\) is called a linear set of pseudoregulus type. In this paper, the authors show that for \(t=4\) the only maximum scattered linear sets, up to equivalence, either are of pseudoregulus type or they belong to a family introduced in [J. Algebr. Comb. 14, No. 1, 49--56 (2001; Zbl 1028.51012)] by \textit{G. Lunardon} and \textit{O. Polverino}. Also, they describe the orbits of these linear sets under the groups \(\mathrm{PGL}(2, q^4)\) and \(P\Gamma L(2, q^4)\).