Self-orthogonal compact spreads and unitals in topological translation planes (Q1591216)

Let \(V\) be the real vector space \(\mathbb{R}^{2n}\) equipped with the standard scalar product. A spread \({\mathcal S}\) of \(V\) is a set of pairwise complementary \(n\)-dimensional subspaces covering \(V\). It gives rise to a locally compact connected affine translation plane \({\mathbf A}\) with point set \(\mathbb{R}^{2n}\) and \(\{x+S\mid x\in\mathbb{R}^{2n}\), \(S\in {\mathcal S}\}\) as its line set. If the Grassmann space of all \(n\)-dimensional subspaces of \(V\) is topologized (via the action of \(\text{GL}_n \mathbb{R})\), then the spread becomes a subspace which may be compact in which case it is called a compact spread. Compactness of a spread is equivalent to continuity of join and intersection in \({\mathbf A}\), which henceforth shall be assumed. In this paper a unital is a compact subset \(U\) of \(V\) such that every point of \(U\) is contained in exactly one tangent (= line which intersects \(U\) in a point), which is homeomorphic to a sphere \(S^{2n-1}\), and such that for any secant \(L\) (= line which intersects \(U\) more than in a singleton) \(L\cap U\) is homeomorphic to \(S^{n-1}\). \(U\) is said to have flat feet with respect to a point \(p\notin U\) if all tangents through \(p\) touch the unital in collinear points of \({\mathbf A}\). In this setting the authors prove (2.4) that every Euclidean sphere is a unital; such a unital has flat feet with respect to all points at infinity if, and only if \({\mathcal S}\) is a self-orthogonal spread (i.e. \({\mathcal S}={\mathcal S}^\perp: =\{S^\perp\mid S\in {\mathcal S}\})\). The classical spreads defining the classical real, complex, quaternion, and octonion planes are self-orthogonal. Non-classical spreads have first been given by \textit{D. Betten} [Arch. Math. 21, 100-102 (1970; Zbl 0204.53501)]. The authors construct a wealth of further examples of non-classical self-orthogonal spreads, referring among others to the irreducible Betten plane, cf. (73.19) in \textit{H. Salzmann} et al. [Compact projective planes (De Gruyter, Berlin) (1996; Zbl 0851.51003)]. They also examine the proper Kalscheuer nearfield planes (3.7) which turn out to be never self-orthogonal although isomorphic to their respective transpose, cf. (64.10), loc. cit. The results are obtained using matrix techniques, in particular the Grassmann coordinates of a spread.