On the equivalence of linear sets

Let $L$ be a linear set of pseudoregulus type in a line $\ell$ in $\Sigma^*=\mathrm{PG}(t-1,q^t)$, $t=5$ or $t>6$. We provide examples of $q$-order canonical subgeometries $\Sigma_1,\, \Sigma_2 \subset \Sigma^*$ such that there is a $(t-3)$-space $\Gamma \subset \Sigma^*\setminus (\Sigma_1 \cup \Sigma_2 \cup \ell)$ with the property that for $i=1,2$, $L$ is the projection of $\Sigma_i$ from center $\Gamma$ and there exists no collineation $\phi$ of $\Sigma^*$ such that $\Gamma^{\phi}=\Gamma$ and $\Sigma_1^{\phi}=\Sigma_2$. Condition (ii) given in Theorem 3 in Lavrauw and Van de Voorde (Des. Codes Cryptogr. 56:89-104, 2010) states the existence of a collineation between the projecting configurations (each of them consisting of a center and a subgeometry), which give rise by means of projections to two linear sets. It follows from our examples that this condition is not necessary for the equivalence of two linear sets as stated there. We characterize the linear sets for which the condition above is actually necessary.Comment: Preprint version. Referees' suggestions and corrections implemented. The final version is to appear in Designs, Codes and Cryptograph

On sets of points with few odd secants

We prove that, for $q$ odd, a set of $q+2$ points in the projective plane over the field with $q$ elements has at least $2q-c$ odd secants, where $c$ is a constant and an odd secant is a line incident with an odd number of points of the set.Comment: Revised versio

A Carlitz type result for linearized polynomials

For an arbitrary $q$-polynomial $f$ over $\mathbb{F}_{q^n}$ we study the problem of finding those $q$-polynomials $g$ over $\mathbb{F}_{q^n}$ for which the image sets of $f(x)/x$ and $g(x)/x$ coincide. For $n\leq 5$ we provide sufficient and necessary conditions and then apply our result to study maximum scattered linear sets of $\mathrm{PG}(1,q^5)$

Generalizing Korchmáros-Mazzocca arcs

In this paper, we generalize the so called Korchmáros-Mazzocca arcs, that is, point sets of size $q+t$ intersecting each line in 0, 2 or t points in a finite projective plane of order q. When t is not 2 then this means that each point of the point set is incident with exactly one line meeting the point set in t points. In PG(2,p^n), we change 2 in the definition above to any integer m and describe all examples when m or t is not divisible by p. We also study mod p variants of these objects, give examples and under some conditions we prove the existence of a nucleus