4-dimensional compact projective planes with small nilradical (Q1900108)

This paper is one more step towards the complete classification of all flexible four-dimensional compact projective planes, i.e. topological projective planes with point space homeomorphic to the classical plane over the complex numbers such that the group of continuous collineations has an open orbit in the space of flags. Flexible planes have collineation groups of dimension at least 6. All four-dimensional compact projective planes admitting a seven-dimensional collineation group have been classified. Up to duality these planes are translation planes or the shift plane of Knarr. For flexible four-dimensional compact projective planes with six-dimensional collineation groups many classification results are already obtained by a number of authors and only one case remains open, which is shown in this paper. Let \(\Sigma\) denote the connected component of the group of continuous collineations and let \(N\) denote the nilradical of \(\Sigma\), i.e. the maximal connected nilpotent invariant subgroup of \(\Sigma\). It is assumed that \(\Sigma\) contains no subgroup isomorphic to the vector group \(\mathbb{R}^4\) and that \(\Sigma\) is solvable (otherwise the corresponding planes are known). In this case \(\Sigma\) fixes a flag \((v,W)\). It is then further assumed that, up to duality, \(\Sigma\) acts transitively on the line pencil \({\mathcal L}_v \backslash \{W\}\) and fixes no point on \(W\) except \(v\). Under these assumptions the possible actions of \(\Sigma\) and of its connected invariant subgroups are narrowed down. From the classification of six-dimensional solvable Lie groups it is known that the nilradical \(N\) is at least three-dimensional and up to isomorphisms there are precisely two six-dimensional solvable Lie algebras that have three-dimensional nilradicals. One of theses Lie algebras is already eliminated by the results about the possible actions of \(\Sigma \). The other case is excluded by using the subalgebra structure of the particular Lie algebra and further refining the information about possible actions of the corresponding Lie groups \(\Sigma\). Thus it is proved that \(\dim N \geq 4\). The cases of six- or five-dimensional nilradicals have been dealt with by \textit{D. Betten} [Mitt. Math. Ges. Hamb. 12, No. 3, 741-747 (1991; Zbl 0749.51015) and Geom. Dedicata 58, No. 3, 259-289 (1995)] respectively. The last open case of a four-dimensional nilradical is studied by the author [Result. Math. 28, No. 1-2, 100-116 (1995; see the paper above)].