On linear sets on a projective line (Q2638402)

Let \(V\) be an \(r\)-dimensional vector space over a finite field \(F\). A set \(S\) of points of \(PG(V)\) is called a linear set (of rank \(t\)) if there exists a subset \(U\) of \(V\) that forms a (\(t\)-dimensional) \(F_q\)-vector space for some \(F_q\subset F\), such that \(S=\{\langle u\rangle_{F_q}\;|\;u\in U-\{0\}\}\). If we want to specify the subfield we call \(S\) an \(F_q\)-linear set. Two problems for linear sets are considered: the equivalence problem and the intersection problem. In this paper, it is determined in which cases all linear sets of rank 3 of the same size on a projective line are (projectively) equivalent. Apart from it, the authors determine the intersection of a subline \(PG(1,q)\) with a linear set in \(PG(1,q^h)\) and it is derived an upper bound on the size of the intersection of two different linear sets of rank 3 in \(PG(1,q^h)\).