Projective \(k\)-arcs and 2-level secret-sharing schemes (Q420627)

Let \(K\) be a \(k\)-arc of \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q)\), with \(q\) large enough, disjoint from a line \(l\). The focus set \(\mathcal F\) consists of all points of \(l\) covered by the chords of \(K\). The \(k\)-arc is called sharply focused on a line \(l\) when \(|{\mathcal F}|=k\). If \(|{\mathcal F}|=k-1\), we say that \(K\) is hyperfocused; such arcs exist only for \(q\) even as proved by \textit{A. Bichara} and \textit{G. Korchmaros} [Ann. Discrete Math. 14, 117--121 (1982; Zbl 0493.51010)], and they were used by \textit{G. J. Simmons} [Congr. Numerantium 73, 181--204 (1990; Zbl 0702.51009)] for constructing some \(2\)-level secret sharing schemes. The authors prove that any hyperfocused \(k\)-arc \(K\) contained in a translation oval \[ \Omega=\{P_t=(t,t^{2^m},1) \mid t \in \mathrm{GF}(q)\}\cup \{(0,1,0)\} \] is additive, i.e. \(K=\{P_t \mid t\in T\}\) where \(T\) is an additive subgroup of \(\mathrm{GF}(q)\). Furthermore, the authors extend the above concepts to \(k\)-arcs \(K\) of \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q)\) introducing the spatial sharply focused and spatial hyperfocused \(k\)-arcs of \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q)\) with respect to a line \(l\) disjoint from \(K\). They prove that if \(K\) is contained in a \((q+1)\)-arc \(\Gamma\) of \(\mathrm{PG}(3,q)\), \ \(q\) even, and \(l\) is a real axis of \(\Gamma\), then \(K\) is neither spatial sharply focused nor spatial hyperfocused.