No label defined (Q4513465)

A blocking set in an affine or projective space is a set of points intersecting all lines of the space but containing none. In a projective plane of order \(q\) blocking sets exist if and only if \(q\geq 3\) [see \textit{M. Richardson}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 7, 458-465 (1956; Zbl 0073.35403)]; for \(\text{PG}(3,q)\) it is known that blocking sets do not exist if \(q<4\) and exist if \(q>4\) [\textit{F. Mazzocca and G. Tallini}, Simon Stevin 59, 43-50 (1985; Zbl 0616.05021), \textit{S. Rajola}, Ann. Discrete Math. 37, 391-394 (1988; Zbl 0646.51018), \textit{G. Tallini}, Ann. Discrete Math. 37, 433-450 (1988; Zbl 0661.51010)]: so, the question of the existence of blocking sets in \(\text{PG}(3,4)\) was still open. In the paper under review the results of a search for blocking sets in \(\text{PG}(3,4)\) are explained. Such a search is done by means of a computer program and with the aid of the theoretic results by \textit{L. Berardi and F. Eugeni} [Ann. Discrete Math. 37, 43-50 (1988; Zbl 0645.51009)] and \textit{K. Metsch} [Mitt. Math. Semin. Giessen 201, 119-131 (1991; Zbl 0741.51015)]. By these results, if a blocking set in \(\text{PG}(3,4)\) exists, then there is also a blocking set with certain properties. The program performs an exhaustive search on such a kind of blocking sets and finds none. So, the non-existence of blocking sets in \(\text{PG}(3,4)\) is proved.