On 4-dimensional Minkowski planes with 7-dimensional automorphism groups (Q1312320)

The geometrical structures which are examined are the locally compact connected finite-dimensional topological Minkowski planes, briefly: finite-dimensional Minkowski planes. There are a lot of papers and results with regard to these structures. A finite-dimensional Minkowski plane can only be of dimension 2 or 4 [\textit{R. Löwen} in: Geometry -- von Staudt's point of view, Proc. NATO Adv. Study Inst., Bad Windsheim/Ger. 1980, 339-372 (1981; Zbl 0458.51015)]. The classical model of 2- or 4-dimensional Minkowski planes is obtained as the geometry of nontrivial plane sections of a ruled quadric in the real or complex projective 3-dimensional space respectively. There are many models of nonclassical 2-dimensional Minkowski planes [\textit{H. Schenkel}, Diss. 1980; \textit{E. Hartmann}, Geom. Dedicata 10, 155-159 (1981; Zbl 0454.51004); the author, J. Geom. 25, 88- 100 (1985; Zbl 0589.51027)]. The author has shown [Forum Math. 4, No. 6, 593-605 (1992; Zbl 0768.51015)], that a 4-dimensional Minkowski plane that admits an 8- dimensional automorphism group must be classical. In this paper he examinates the 4-dimensional Minkowski planes admitting a 7-dimensional automorphism group. He proves the following result: If a 4-dimensional Minkowski plane \(M\) admits a closely connected 7- dimensional automorphism group \(\Sigma\), then \(M\) is classical or \(\Sigma\) fixes precisely one point \(p\), and the derived plane at a point \(p\) is a 4-dimensional translation plane with a 7-dimensional collineation group.