Primes and order structure in the product spaces (Q678184)

The authors consider the product space \({\mathcal S}:={\mathcal S}({\mathbb{P}}_0,{\mathbb{P}}_1)=(S,L)\) obtained from projective spaces \({\mathbb{P}}_i=(P_i,L_i)\) by putting \(S:=P_0\times P_1\) and \(L:=\{\{x_0\}\times a_1\mid{x_0\in P_0},{a_1\in L_1}\} \cup\{a_0\times\{x_1\}\mid{a_0\in L_0},{x_1\in P_1}\}\). If the two projective spaces are coordinatized by the same commutative field \(F\), and have finite dimensions \(n_i\), there is a projective embedding into the projective space \(\widetilde{\mathbb{P}}\) of dimension \(n_0n_1+n_0+n_1\) over \(F\), the image of this embedding is called the C. Segre variety \({\mathcal S}_{n_0,n_1,F}\). A prime of \({\mathcal S}\) is a proper subset \(H\) of the point set \(S\) such that any line either is contained in \(H\) or meets \(H\) in exactly one point. Using characterizations of projective maps due to \textit{H. Brauner} [Monatsh. Math. 77, 10-20 (1973; Zbl 0256.50013)] and \textit{H. Havlicek} [J. Geom. 16, 152-167 (1981; Zbl 0463.51003)], the authors characterize those C. Segre varieties whose automorphisms leave invariant the set of all primes that are traces of hyperplanes of \(\widetilde{\mathbb{P}}\) in \(S\): this happens exactly if (i) \(F\) has at most \(3\) elements, or if (ii) \(n_0,n_1>1\) and \(F\) has only the trivial automorphism. They give an intrinsic characterization of (automorphic images of) traces of hyperplanes: these are so-called singular primes, where for every pair of points there exists a point collinear with both. Of course, there are singular primes which are not actual traces of hyperplanes if none of conditions (i) or (ii) is satisfied. The authors show that, if \(F\) is an ordered commutative field, there is no order structure on \(\mathcal S\) compatible with the order structure on \(\widetilde{\mathbb{P}}\). Finally, they extend a result due to \textit{N. Melone} and \textit{D. Olanda} [Rend. Mat. Appl., VII. Ser. 1, 381-397 (1981; Zbl 0492.51006)] to the ordered case: every ordered Segre space is isomorphic to the product of two ordered projective spaces, and conversely.