Classification of minimal blocking sets in PG(2,9) (Q6181318)

A \textit{ blocking set} in \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q)\) is a set of points \(B\) such that every line contains at least one point of \(B\). A blocking set \(B\) is minimal when no proper subset of \(B\) is a blocking set. In this paper, the authors use a computer search to classify all minimal blocking sets in \(\mathrm{PG}(2,9)\); they find 15,429,238 minimal blocking sets up to \(P\Gamma L\)- equivalence. This result is presented in a table containing for each possible size the number of equivalence classes, and sizes of their stabiliser. The examples with relatively large automorphism group (larger than 42) are described in more detail. In particular, they consider semi-ovals, blocking sets of index three (contained in three lines) and blocking sets from Kestenband arcs using Singer cycles in \(\mathrm{PG}(2,9)\). Despite the titel only mentioning \(\mathrm{PG}(2,9)\), the paper also contains interesting theoretical observations and theorems about blocking sets for general \(q\). In particular, the authors modify the construction of \textit{C. Mengyán} [Des. Codes Cryptography 45, No. 2, 259--267 (2007; Zbl 1404.51009)] to create minimal blocking sets from a Hermitian curve for sizes not covered by the original construction, and they determine the autormorphism groups of the associated blocking sets. They apply a similar idea to construct minimal blocking set from a non-classical Buekenhout-Metz unital, which is a union of conics.