On arcs in projective Hjelmslev planes (Q5937594)

A \((k, n)\)-arc in a projective Hjelmslev plane \(\text{PHG}(R^3_R) =({\mathcal P}, {\mathcal L}, I)\) over a chain ring \(R\) is a mapping \(\varphi : {\mathcal P}\rightarrow {\mathbb N}_0\) such that \(\varphi({\mathcal P}) = k\) and \(\varphi({\mathcal \ell}) \leq n\) for each line \(\ell\in\mathcal L\). A \((k, n)\)-arc is complete if there is no \((k^\prime, n)\)-arc \(\varphi^\prime\) with \(k^\prime > k\) and \(\varphi^\prime(P) \geq \varphi (P)\) for every point \(P\in\mathcal P\). A \((k, n)\)-arc is called projective when \(\varphi (P)\in\{0,1\}\). In the paper under review the authors consider the problem of finding the largest possible size \(m_n(R^3_R)\) of a projective \((k, n)\)-arc in \(\text{PHG}(R^3_R)\) when \(|R|= q^2\) and \(R/ \text{rad} R \cong {\mathbb F}_q\). They first show some general procedures to construct arcs in \(\text{PHG}(R^3_R\)), and then they give some results that improve the general upper bound of \(m_n(R^3_R)\) for \(n=3\) and \(n=4\). The paper ends with a table in which they summarize the values of \(m_n(R^3_R)\) for the chain rings \(R\) with \(|R|= q^2 \leq 25\) and \(R/\text{rad} R \cong {\mathbb F}_q\).