Transverse lines to surfaces over finite fields

Abstract

We prove that if $S$ is a smooth reflexive surface in $\mathbb{P}^3$ defined over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$, then there exists an $\mathbb{F}_q$-line meeting $S$ transversely provided that $q\geq c\operatorname{deg}(S)$, where $c=\frac{3+\sqrt{17}}{4}\approx 1.7808$. Without the reflexivity hypothesis, we prove the existence of a transverse $\mathbb{F}_q$-line for $q\geq \operatorname{deg}(S)^2$.