Orbits in 4-dimensional compact projective planes (Q1180129)

All 4-dimensional compact projective planes admitting a 7-dimensional collineation group have been classified in a series of papers by the author and others. Up to duality these planes are translation planes or the shift plane of Knarr. One cannot hope to classify all 4-dimensional compact projective planes. However it seems to be feasible to classify the flexible planes that is planes that have an open orbit in the flag space. The flexible planes are characterized by a collineation group of dimension at least 6. In the paper under review the author investigates the possible orbit structure of a 6-dimensional group of collineations \(\Sigma\). If the connected component of \(\Sigma\) is non-solvable, then \(\Sigma^ 1=\mathbb{R}^ 2\rtimes GL^ +_ 2\mathbb{R}\) and this leads to translation planes or dual translation planes as was shown by \textit{R. Löwen} [Geom. Dedicata 36, No. 2/3, 225-234 (1990; Zbl 0712.51011)]. So it is assumed that \(\Delta=\Sigma^ 1\) is solvable and 6-dimensional. Then \(\Delta\) fixes some flag \((v,W)\). Further it is distinguished according to the minimal dimension of the orbits of the \(\Delta\)-action on \({\mathcal L}_ v\backslash\{W\}\cong\mathbb{R}^ 2\) (\({\mathcal L}_ v\) being the line pencil through \(v\)) and dually on \(W\backslash\{v\}\cong\mathbb{R}^ 2\). Up to duality there are six orbit cases (0,0), (1,0), (2,0), (1,1), (2,1) and (2,2). The situation where both minimal dimensions are 0, that is \(\Delta\) fixes two points and two lines, was studied by \textit{N. Knarr} [Result. Math. 12, 134-147 (1987; Zbl 0626.51011)]. The orbit case (1,0) leads to a 3-dimensional translation group with axis \(W\) and one orbit of this translation group on the affine plane is fixed under the action of \(\Delta\). This situation was previously studied by the author [Geom. Dedicata 16, 179-193 (1984; Zbl 0547.51012)]; these planes are obtained by pasting together two halves of translation planes along an \(\mathbb{R}^ 3\). All 4-dimensional compact projective planes with a nilpotent 6- dimensional collineation group were classified by the author in another paper. So, in the second part of the paper under review the author considers the situation where \(\Delta\) has a 5-dimensional nilradical \(N\). Up to duality this results in a 3-dimensional group of translations. More precisely, the dimensions of the translation group with axis \(W\) and of the elation group with centre \(v\) and also the possible orbit cases with respect to \(\Delta\) and \(N\) are determined.