Subplane covered affine planes (Q1815261)

The process of derivability depends on the existence of a derivable net in an affine plane. Essentially, a derivable net is a net in an affine plane which is the union of Baer subplanes. A natural generalization is subplane covered net -- a net which is the union of subplanes, not necessarily Baer nor all of the same size. An (finite or infinite) affine plane \(\Pi\) is subplane covered if \(\Pi\) contains a set \({\mathcal B}\) of proper affine subplanes (not necessarily of the same size) such that for every subplane \(\Pi_0\) in \({\mathcal B}\), the net \({\mathcal N}_0\) defined by the parallel classes of \(\Pi_0\) is subplane covered and \(\Pi\) is the union of the subplanes in \({\mathcal B}\). The plane is subplane regular if it is subplane covered and for every triple of distinct concurrent lines \(l,m,n\) there is a subplane covered net in \(\Pi\) containing \(l,m\), and \(n\). A projective plane is subplane regular if every affine restriction is subplane regular. The authors show that for affine and projective planes subplane regular implies the little Reidemeister condition. Hence by \textit{H. Lüneburg} [Arch. Math. 12, 382-384 (1961; Zbl 0100.35003)] and \textit{O. H. Kegel} and \textit{H. Lüneburg} [Arch. Math. 14, 7-10 (1963; Zbl 0108.16302)] every finite subplane regular projective plane is Desarguesian. Furthermore, a subplane regular (affine) translation plane is regular, and hence it is either Fano or Moufang. Other interesting results are also obtained.