Character tables and the problem of existence of finite projective planes

Abstract

Recently, the authors of the present work (together with M. N. Kolountzakis) introduced a new version of the non-commutative Delsarte scheme and applied it to the problem of mutually unbiased bases. Here we use this method to investigate the existence of a finite projective plane of a given order d. In particular, a short new proof is obtained for the nonexistence of a projective plane of order 6. For higher orders like 10 and 12, the method is non decisive but could turn out to give important supplementary informations.