Self-dual polygons and self-dual curves (Q1035293): Difference between revisions

Let \(PG(2,\mathbb K)=:\mathbb P\), \(\mathbb K\in\{\mathbb R,\mathbb C\}\), be the real resp. complex projective plane over the three-dimensional vector space \(V\) and denote by \(\mathbb P^*\) and \(V^*\) the dual spaces. The annihilator \(V\rightarrow\,V^*\) induces an incidence preserving involution \(^*:\mathbb P\rightarrow\mathbb P^*\) called projective duality. An \(n\)-gon \(L\) consists of the vertices \(A_1,A_3,\dots ,A_{2n-1}\) (the indices are the odd residues modulo \(2n\)) and of the sides \(B_2,B_4,\dots ,B_{2n}\) (the indices are the even residues modulo \(2n\)) where \(B_{2i}\) is the join of \(A_{2i-1}\) and \(A_{2i+1}\) for all \(i\). We say that \(L\) is \(m\)-self-dual, if there exists a projective collineation \(g:\mathbb P\rightarrow\mathbb P^*\) with \(g(A_i)=B_{i+m}^*\) for all \(i\). The authors prove the following main result: If \(\mathbb K=\mathbb C\) and \((m,n)=1\), then the moduli space \({\mathcal M}_{m,n}\) of \(m\)-self-dual \(n\)-gons consists of one point, the class of a regular \(n\)-gon. If \(m<n\), \((m,n)>1\), and \(n\not=2m\), then \(\dim{\mathcal M}_{m,n}=(m,n)-1\). Finally, \(\dim{\mathcal M}_{m,2m}=m-3\) and \(\dim{\mathcal M}_{n,n}=n-3\). The proof of the result above contains explicit constructions of self-dual polygons and shows among others that every pentagon is \(5\)-self-dual and that every Poncelet \(n\)-gon is \(n\)-self-dual. For \(\mathbb K=\mathbb R\) the authors investigate polygonal curves, i.e., polygons with edges and exterior angles. A given \(n\)-gon \(L\) gives rise to \(2^{2n}\) polygonal curves. If \(L\) is \(m\)-self-dual, then from these \(2^{2n}\) polygonal curves \(2^{(m,n)}\) are \(m\)-self-dual. A curve \(\gamma(t)\), \(t\in\mathbb S^1=\mathbb R/2\pi\mathbb Z\), of \(PG(2,\mathbb R)\) is called self-dual, if there exists a (projective) collineation \(g:\mathbb P\rightarrow\mathbb P^*\) and a diffeomorphism \(\varphi\) of \(\mathbb S^1\) such that \(g(\gamma(\varphi(t))=\gamma^*(t)\). The authors give explicit formulas for self-dual curves and show that Radon curves are projectively self-dual.