On the fundamental theorems of the geometries of symmetric matrices (Q1818721)

Let \(\delta\) be a null-polarity of \(\Pi=PG(2r+1,F)\). The space of the \(r\)-dimensional subspaces of \(\Pi\), which are invariant under \(\delta\) will be denoted by \(I_r\). Two invariant subspaces are adjacent if their intersection is \((r-1)\)-dimensional. Chow has determined all bijections \(\varphi\) from \(I_r\) to itself, for which both \(\varphi\) and \(\varphi^{-1}\) preserve adjacency. Let \(n=r+1\). The space \(I_r\) can be considered as the projective space of symmetric \(n\times n\) matrices \(P{\mathcal S}_n(F)\). The theorem of Chow is called the fundamental theorem of \(P{\mathcal S}_n(F)\). In the space \({\mathcal S}_n(F)\), two symmetric matrices \(S_1,\;S_2\) are adjacent if rank\((S_1-S_2)=1\). Hua and Wan have determined all bijections \(f:{\mathcal S}_n(F)\to {\mathcal S}_n(F)\) for which both \(f\) and \(f^{-1}\) preserve adjacency. This theorem is called the fundamental theorem of \({\mathcal S}_n(F)\). It is well-known that any adjacency preserving transformation of \(P{\mathcal S}_n(F)\) can be induced by an adjacency preserving transformation of \({\mathcal S}_n(F)\). In this paper a geometric proof of this derivation is given. If \(F\neq F_2\), then any adjacency preserving transformation of \({\mathcal S}_n(F)\) can be induced by an adjacency preserving transformation of \(P{\mathcal S}_n(F)\).