On the planar translation structures (Q1199647)

A geometric structure, namely a so-called translation structure \(\Sigma(\Pi(T))\), is associated with any partition \(\Pi(T)\) of a finite group \(T\). If the partition is linear the translation group \(T\) is either an elementary abelian or a Frobenius group. A planar translation structure is an André translation structure \(\Sigma(\Pi(T))=\Sigma\) together with a set \(\varepsilon(T)=\varepsilon\) of subspaces such that any three non-collinear points of \(\Sigma\) lie in exactly one element of \(\varepsilon\). Here the authors are concerned with planar translation structures whose translation group \(T\) is a Frobenius group. Then it is shown that \(T\) is isomorphic to a dilatation group of a planar translation structure \(\Sigma'\) with an abelian translation group. The points of \(\Sigma\) are the points of a regular orbit \(\Xi\) of \(T\) on \(\Sigma'\) and the relationship between lines and planes in \(\Sigma\) is that induced in \(\Xi\) by the one in \(\Sigma'\). This means that all finite translation structures can be described in terms of planar translation structures over abelian groups. Furthermore, every planar translation structure over a Frobenius group \(T\) with kernel \(F\) can be represented in an affine space \({\mathcal A}\) over \(F\) where \(T\) is the whole translation group of \({\mathcal A}\) and \(\Xi\) is the point set of \({\mathcal A}\). The authors define the minimal dimension \(a({\mathcal A})\) of the affine representation of a planar translation structure \(\Sigma\). They are able to prove that planar translation structures \(\Sigma\) of a special form have minimal dimension \(a(\Sigma)=3\). It is shown that planar translation structures with \(a(\Sigma)=4\) do not exist, and an example with \(a(\Sigma)=5\) is given.