Unitals in Topological Affine Translation Planes Need Not Be Strictly Convex

We study the relationship of two incidence geometric convexity notions, namely, ovoids in real affine spaces and compact unitals of codimension 1 in topological affine translation planes. In [3] we showed that every ovoid in a translation plane is a unital, and we asked if the converse is true. Here we introduce the notion of a shell, which is distinctly weaker than that of an ovoid and still implies the unital property if the translation plane is properly chosen (and the shell is not too degenerate). We give an explicit example of a shell that is not an ovoid. The question remains whether or not conversely, every compact unital of codimension 1 in a translation plane is a shell.     

Elementary constructions of locally compact affine planes

In this paper we describe several elementary constructions of 4-, 8- and 16-dimensional locally compact affine planes. The new planes share many properties with the classical ones and are very easy to handle. Among the new planes we find translation planes, planes that are constructed by gluing together two halves of different translation planes, 4-dimensional shift planes, etc. We discuss various applications of our constructions, e.g. the construction of 8- and 16-dimensional affine planes with a point-transitive collineation group which are neither translation planes nor dual translation planes, the proof that a 2-dimensional affine plane that can be coordinatized by a linear ternary field with continuous ternary operation can be embedded in 4-, 8- and 16-dimensional planes, the construction of 4-dimensional non-classical planes that admit at the same time orthogonal and non-orthogonal polarities. We also consider which of our planes have tangent translation planes in all their points. In a final section we generalize the Knarr-Weigand criterion for topological ternary fields.This research was supported by a Feodor Lynen fellowship.     

Smooth Stable Planes and the Moduli Spaces of Locally Compact Translation Planes

 Smooth stable planes have been introduced in [3]. At every point p of a smooth stable plane the tangent spaces of the lines through p form a compact spread (see the definition in Section 2) on the tangent space thus defining a locally compact topological affine translation plane . We introduce the moduli space of isomorphism classes of compact spreads, . We show that for the topology of is not by constructing a sequence of non-classical spreads in that converges to the classical spread in , where . Moreover, we prove that the isomorphism type of varies continuously with the point p. Finally, we give examples of smooth affine planes which have both classical and non-classical tangent translation planes. (Received 15 April 1999; in revised form 22 October 1999)     

On the addition of convex sets in the hyperbolic plane

Analogue to the definition $K + L := \bigcup_{x\in K}(x + L)$ of the Minkowski addition in the euclidean geometry it is proposed to define the (noncommutative) addition $K \vdash L := \bigcup_{0\, \leqsl\, \rho\,\leqsl\, a(\varphi),0\,\leqsl\,\varphi\,<\, 2\pi}T_{\rho}^{(\varphi)}(L)$ for compact, convex and smoothly bounded sets K and L in the hyperbolic plane $\Omega$ (Kleins model). Here $\rho = a(\varphi)$ is the representation of the boundary $\partial$ K in geodesic polar coordinates and $T_{\rho}^{(\varphi)}$ is the hyperbolic translation of $\Omega$ of length $\rho$ along the line through the origin o of direction $\varphi$. In general this addition does not preserve convexity but nevertheless we may prove as main results: (1) $o \in$ int $K, o \in$ int L and K,L horocyclic convex imply the strict convexity of $K \vdash L$, and (2) in this case there exists a hyperbolic mixed volume $V_h(K,L)$ of K and L which has a representation by a suitable integral over the unit circle.     

The homeomorphism type of unital-like submanifolds in smooth projective planes

We prove that a compact, connected submanifold of the point space of a smooth projective plane is homeomorphic to a sphere provided that certain intersection properties with lines are satisfied. As an application, we show that the set of absolute points of a smooth polarity in a smooth projective plane of dimension 2l is empty or homeomorphic to a sphere of dimension 2l - 1 or .Received: 13 September 2002     

Some Krasnosel'skii numbers for finitely starlike sets in the plane

Let S be a subset of the plane. In case (int cl S) S = , then S is finitely starlike if and only if every 4 points of S see via S a common point. In case (int cl S) S has at most countably many components, each a singleton set, then S is finitely starlike if and only if every 5 points of S see via S a common point. Each of the numbers 4 and 5 is best possible. Examples show that these results fail without suitable restrictions on (int cl S) S. Moreover, a final example shows that if a general Krasnosel'skii number . exists to characterize finitely starlike sets in the plane, then > 9.     

Improved Krasnosel'skii theorems for the dimension of the kernel of a starshaped set

We will establish the following improved Krasnosel'skii theorems for the dimension of the kernel of a starshaped set: For each k and d, 0 k d, define f(d,k) = d+1 if k = 0 and f(d,k) = max{d+1,2d–2k+2} if 1 k d.Theorem 1. Let S be a compact, connected, locally starshaped set in R^d, S not convex. Then for a k with 0 k d, dim ker S k if and only if every f(d, k) lnc points of S are clearly visible from a common k-dimensional subset of S.Theorem 2. Let S be a nonempty compact set in R^d. Then for a k with 0 k d, dim ker S k if and only if every f (d, k) boundary points of S are clearly visible from a common k-dimensional subset of S. In each case, the number f(d, k) is best possible for every d and k.     

Geometries of type [L.Af*]

Let be a [L.Af*]-geometry, that is a rank 3 geometry with linear spaces as plane residues, with dual affine planes as point residues and with generalized digons as line residues. Assume that (LL) holds in . In the particular case where the plane residues are finite circles, the structure of such geometries has been strongly restricted by A. P. Sprague. Moreover, C. Lefèvre and L. Van Nypelseer have given a complete classification of such geometries under the assumption that the plane residues are affine planes. We generalize these two results for [L.Af*]-geometries.Aspirant du Fonds National Belge de la Recherche Scientifique.     

Points of local nonconvexity,clear visibility,and starshaped sets in Rd

Let S be a compact, connected, locally starshaped set in R^d, S not convex. For every point of local nonconvexity q of S, define A_q to be the subset of S from which q is clearly visible via S. Then ker S = {conv A_q: q lnc S}. Furthermore, if every d+1 points of local nonconvexity of S are clearly visible from a common d-dimensional subset of S, then dim ker S = d.     

A characterisation of spreads ovally-derived from Desarguesian spreads

We characterise all spreads that are obtainable from Desarguesian spreads by replacing a partial spread consisting of translation ovals; the corresponding ovally-derived planes are generalised André planes, of order 2 ^N , although not all generalised André planes are ovallyderived from Desarguesian planes. Our analysis allows us to obtain a complete classification of all nearfield planes that are ovally-derived from Desarguesian planes. It turns out that whether or not a nearfield plane is ovally-derived from a Desarguesian plane depends solely on the parametersq andr, where GF (q) is the kern, andr is the dimension of the plane. Our results also imply that a Hall plane of even orderq ² can be ovally-derived from a Desarguesian spread if and only ifq is a square.     

On the best estimate for perimeters of plane sets with the angle property

We investigate the problem of finding the maximum length of perimeters of plane sets with fixed diameter d, such that every point of the boundary of the set is a vertex of an open angle of opening which does not intersect the set. First we consider plane curves which satisfy such angle property in a finite number of directions, and among them we find the one of maximum length. Then we prove that the perimeter of any plane set with the angle property is less than or equal to d(sin /2)^-2; this is the best estimate when /2.     

Determining starshaped sets and unions of starshaped sets by their sections

Let S be a compact set in R^d. Let p be a fixed point of S and let k be a fixed integer, 1 k <d. Then S is starshaped with p ker S if and only if for every k-dimensional flat F through p, F S is starshaped. Moreover, an analogue of this result holds for unions of starshaped sets as well.     

Intersections of maximal staircase sets

A compact set is staircase connected if every two points a, b ∈ S can be connected by an x-monotone and y-monotone polygonal path with sides parallel to the coordinate axes. In [5] we have introduced the concepts of staircase k-stars and kernels. In this paper we prove that if the staircase k-kernel is not empty, then it can be expressed as the intersection of a covering family of maximal subsets of staircase diameter k of S.      

Unions of orthogonally convex or orthogonally starshaped polygons

LetT be a simply connected orthogonal polygon having the property that for every three points ofT, at least two of these points see each other via staircases inT. ThenT is a union of three orthogonally convex polygons. The number three is best possible.ForT a simply connected orthogonal polygon,T is a union of two orthogonally convex polygons if and only if for every sequencev ₁,...,v _n,v _n+1 =v ₁ inT, n odd, at least one consecutive pairv _i ,v _i+1 sees each other via staircase paths inT, 1 i n. An analogous result says thatT is a union of two orthogonal polygons which are starshaped via staircase paths if and only if for every odd sequence inT, at least one consecutive pair sees a common point via staircases inT.Supported in part by NSF grants DMS-8908717 and DMS-9207019.     

The dimension of the kernel in finite and infinite intersections of starshaped sets

Summary. We establish the following Helly-type result for infinite families of starshaped sets in Define the function f on {1, 2} by f(1) = 4, f(2) = 3. Let be a fixed positive number, and let be a uniformly bounded family of compact sets in the plane. For k = 1, 2, if every f(k) (not necessarily distinct) members of intersect in a starshaped set whose kernel contains a k-dimensional neighborhood of radius , then is a starshaped set whose kernel is at least k-dimensional. The number f(k) is best in each case. In addition, we present a few results concerning the dimension of the kernel in an intersection of starshaped sets in Some of these involve finite families of sets, while others involve infinite families and make use of the Hausdorff metric.     

On neighborly families of convex bodies

A family of convex bodies in E^d is called neighborly if the intersection of every two of them is (d-1)-dimensional. In the present paper we prove that there is an infinite neighborly family of centrally symmetric convex bodies in E^d, d 3, such that every two of them are affinely equivalent (i.e., there is an affine transformation mapping one of them onto another), the bodies have large groups of affine automorphisms, and the volumes of the bodies are prescribed. We also prove that there is an infinite neighborly family of centrally symmetric convex bodies in E^d such that the bodies have large groups of symmetries. These two results are answers to a problem of B. Grünbaum (1963). We prove also that there exist arbitrarily large neighborly families of similar convex d-polytopes in E^d with prescribed diameters and with arbitrarily large groups of symmetries of the polytopes.     

Linear spaces with many projective planes

We assume that in a linear space there is a non-empty set M of points with the property that every plane containing a point of M is a projective plane. In section 3 an example is given that in general is not a projective space. But if M can be completed by two points to a generating set of P, then is a projective space.     

The co-existence of elations and homologies of prime order

N. Krier and J. C. D. S. Yaqub have proved that if a projective plane admits an involutory homology and an involutory elation, then does not belong to the Lenz-Barlotti class I₁, and belongs to the class I₂. In this paper, we find the classification of projective planes having a homology of orderp and an elation of orderq, wherep andq are primes.This is based on a part of the doctoral dissertation of A. Solai Raju. The work was supported by a Senior Research Fellowship of the CSIR, India.     

Über fastgeordnete affine Ebenen

An example of an affine plane is constructed, which cannot be ordered, but can be embedded in an ordered projective plane. There is no such an example, if the affine plane is a translation plane with kernel GF(2).

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Herrn Rafael Artzy zum 75. Geburtstag gewidmet