Sixteen-dimensional locally compact translation planes admitting \(\text{SL}_2\mathbb H\) as a group of collinea\-tions. (Q1880046)

The paper under review determines all 16-dimensional locally compact translation planes that admit the unimodular quaternion group SL\(_2\mathbb H\) as a group of automorphisms. The corresponding spreads on \(\mathbb R^{16}\) are obtained as modifications of the classical one (which leads to the octonion plane) by continuous functions from the \(3\)-sphere (interpreted as a subgroup of the multipicative group of quaternions) into the positive reals. The proofs utilize, among other methods, the author's theory of weight spheres for representations of noncompact semisimple Lie groups by automorphisms of translation planes [J. Lie Theory 10, No. 1, 127--146 (2000; Zbl 0951.51007)]. For planes of lower dimension, analogous classifications have been obtained. The \(4\)-dimensional translation planes admitting SL\(_2\mathbb R\) have been determined by \textit{D. Betten} [Math. Z. 128, 129--151 (1972; Zbl 0231.50011), Arch. Math. 24, 552--560 (1973; Zbl 0273.50018), Geom. Dedicata 2, 327--339 (1973; Zbl 0272.50028); see also 73.13 and 73.19 in \textit{H. Salzmann} et al., Compact projective planes (Berlin: de Gruyter) (1996; Zbl 0851.51003)], and \textit{H. Hähl} has determined the 8-dimensional translation planes admitting SL\(_2\mathbb C\) [J. Reine Angew. Math. 330, 76--92 (1982; Zbl 0476.51010)].