There are three projectively distinct examples of a (9,3)-arcs in PG(2,4) and so three inequivalent [9,3,6]-linear codes over the finite field with 4 elements.

1. A hermitian curve in PG(2,q) has q√q+1 points, at most √q+1 incident with a line. All hermitian curves are projectively equivalent. So, for example, the matrix whose columns are distinct points of PG(2,4) that are zeros of the polynomial x√q+1+y√q+1+z√q+1 will generate such a code.

2. For example, with e2=e+1, the code with generator matrix
00 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 1 e 1+e e e 1+e 1+e
0 e e+1 1+e e 1 0 0 1

3. The complement of three non-concurrent lines. For example, the matrix whose columns are distinct points of PG(2,4) with at least two non-zero coordinates.


This classification is due to L. Lunelli and M. Sce [Considerazioni arithmetiche e resultati sperimentali sui {K;n}q archi, Ist. Lombardo Accad. Sci. Rend. A, 98 (1964), 3--52]. Although I used to have this article, I cannot find it now and so I cannot verify if it was already known that there is no (10,3)-arc.


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Updated 9 October 2006