\(SU_ 2\mathbb{H}\) as the collineation group of sixteen dimensional locally compact translation planes (Q1904117)

The author continues the program of classifying 16-dimensional translation planes \({\mathcal P}\). He assumes that \({\mathcal P}\) does admit a collineation group \(\Gamma\) of dimension \(\dim \Gamma\) at least 38. Nonclassical planes of such type exist, and in (1.7) of the author's paper in Math. Z. 159, 259-294 (1978; Zbl 0381.51009) a possible plan of classification has been explained. If \(\dim \Gamma\) even exceeds 40 then from \textit{H. Salzmann} [Can. J. Math. 39, 908-919 (1987; Zbl 0641.51006)], and the author [Monatsh. Math. 106, No. 4, 265-299 (1988; Zbl 0691.51007)] one knows that \({\mathcal P}\) is classical i.e. isomorphic to the octonion plane \({\mathcal P}_2 \mathbb{O}\) (cf. also chapter 8 in the recent monograph of \textit{H. Salzmann} et al. [Compact projective planes (Expositions in Mathematics 21, de Gruyter, Berlin) (1995)]. The author assumes that \({\mathcal P}\) is not classical and the reduced stabilizer \(S\Gamma_0 : = \{\gamma \in \Gamma |\gamma (0) = 0\), \(\text{det} \gamma \in \{- 1, + 1\}\}\) contains a closed connected subgroup \(\Sigma\) which is locally isomorphic to \(SU_2 \mathbb{H}\) and which fixes two points \(s,w\) at infinity. His main result is then that the dimension of any closed connected subgroup \(\Delta\) of \(S \Gamma_0\) does not exceed 20 if \(\Delta\) contains no subgroup locally isomorphic to \(SU_4 \mathbb{C}\) and if it either fixes \(s\) or is such that the \(\Delta\)-orbit of \(s\) contains \(w\) and \(\dim \Delta \leq 6\). This improves (3.2) in the author's Monatsh. Math. 106, 265-299 (1988; loc. cit) and shows \(\dim \Gamma \leq 37\) thus contributing to the program formulated by the author in [Math. Z. 159, 259-294 (1978; loc. cit)].