Distance-preserving maps in generalized polygons. I: Maps on flags (Q1610966)

The main result of the paper is an analogue of a theorem of Beckman and Quarles [\textit{W. Benz}, Elem. Math. 42, No. 1, 4-9 (1987; Zbl 0701.51013)], stating that a permutation of the point set of a Euclidian real space preserves all distances if and only if it preserves a fixed distance \(k\) between points, \(k \in \mathbb{R}_+\). The authors consider the case of generalized polygons and prove, under an additional condition and with one exception case, that a surjective map \(\alpha\) from the set of flags of an \(m\)-gon \(\Delta\) to the set of flags of another \(m\)-gon \(\Delta'\) extends to an (anti)isomorphism from \(\Delta\) to \(\Delta'\) if it preserves a fixed distance \(r<m\) (in the sense that \(\delta(f,g)=r\) if and only if \(\delta(f^{\alpha},g^{\alpha})=r\) for all flags \(f,g\) of \(\Delta\)). By taking the doubles of \(\Delta\) and \(\Delta'\) it is enough to consider the case where \(\alpha\) is a bijection and it preserves the distance \(2r\) between points. The proof is presented in the different cases \(r<m/2\), \(r=m/2\), \(m/2<r<m-1\), \(r=m-1\). A counterexample is described in the exception case. A related result in terms of Coxeter distance is formulated in the last part of the article.