A homogeneous \({\tilde{A}}_2\)-building with a non-discrete automorphism group is Bruhat-Tits (Q1736070)

The author's goal is to provide sufficient conditions under which an exotic $\tilde{A}_2$-building $\Delta$ has a discrete automorphism group. The results can also be viewed as providing conditions on $\Aut(\Delta)$ under which $\Delta$ is necessarily Bruhat-Tits. To give a more detailed overview, some definitions are required: Let $\Delta$ be a locally finite thick $\tilde{A}_2$-building, i.e., a simply connected simplicial complexes of dimension 2 such that all radius 1 spheres around its vertices are isomorphic to the incidence graph of a finite projective plane. In general, for any natural number $n \geq 1$ and any vertex $O$, the radius $n$ spheres around $O$ are projective Hjelmslev planes of level $n$, here denoted by $^nH(O)$. For these spheres, we have the notions ``$n$-Moufang'' and ``$n$-discrete''. If $\Delta$ is $n$-Moufang for all $n \geq 1$, then the spherical building at infinity is Moufang too, i.e., $\Delta$ is Bruhat-Tits (cf. Section 2). If $\Delta$ is not Bruhat-Tits, it is called exotic. The main result states that if the type-preserving automorphism group of $\Delta$ acts transitively on the panels of each type, then for each $n \geq 1$, either $\Delta$ is $n$-Moufang or $\Aut(\Delta)$ is $(6n+2)$-discrete. So either $\Delta$ is Bruhat-Tits or $\Aut(\Delta)$ is discrete. This is dealt with in Section 3. Replacing the panel-transitivity by vertex-transitivity, additional conditions are actually needed. In this case, the theorem states that if $\Aut(\Delta)$ is transitive on vertices and unimodular and that the type-preserving automorphism group acts transitively on the vertices of each type and $\Delta$ has thickness $p+1$ for some prime $p$, then again, either $\Delta$ is Bruhat-Tits or $\Aut(\Delta)$ is discrete. This is dealt with in Section 4. In a third theorem, a technical local condition in order for $\Delta$ to be exotic is given; see Section 5. Applications can be found in Singer cyclic lattices (Section 6). The latter is a subgroup $\Gamma$ of $\Aut(\Delta)$ acting simply transitively on the panels of each type and such that each vertex stabilizer in $\Gamma$ is cyclic; it is called exotic when $\Delta$ is exotic, and has as parameter the order $q$ of the local projective planes in $\Delta$. The author shows that there are ``not too many'' non-isomorphic non-exotic Singer cyclic lattices with (prime power) parameter $q$ and that for large $q$, ``almost all'' Singer cyclic lattices of parameter $q$ are exotic.