Metric characterizations of spherical and Euclidean buildings (Q1601280)

The geometric realization \(X=|\Delta|\) of a spherical or affine building \(\Delta\) carries a natural metric. The authors give various characterizations of such metric spaces \(X\) in terms of CAT curvature conditions. One of their main results is as follows. Theorem: Suppose \(X\) is a connected, piecewise spherical complex of dimension \(n \geq 2\) satisfying the following four conditions: \(X\) is CAT(1), every \((n-1)\)--cell is contained in at least three \(n\)--cells, the link of every \(k\)--cell, \(k \leq n-2\), is connected, and the link of every \((n-2)\)--cell has diameter \(\pi\). Then, with respect to its given cell structure, \(X= \Delta\) for some spherical building \(\Delta\). Similar characterizations are given for (discrete) affine buildings; the authors include also versions of their results which cover weak (i.e. non-thick) buildings; in particular, they re-prove Scharlau's structure theorem for weak buildings [Geom. Dedicata 24, No.1, 77-84; (1987; Zbl 0644.51009)]. Spherical buildings of rank 2, i.e. generalized polygons, are characterized as CAT\((1)\) metric graphs of diameter \(\pi\). Note that the CAT\((1)\)-condition is a rather strong global assumption: it implies that the graph contains no loops of length less than \(2\pi\), so this result is not too surprising. However, the authors also have results which are based on local assumptions and fundamental groups. For example, they prove that a \(1\)-connected locally spherical metric space of dimension at least \(3\) all of whose links are buildings is the geometric realization of a building. Here, dimension \(2\) (rank \(3\)) has to be excluded, as Neumaier's sporadic \(C_3\)-geometry shows [Arch. Math. 42, No. 1, 89-96 (1984; Zbl 0509.05026)].