On characterization of absolute geometries (Q1936919)

In the paper under review, the authors consider an absolute plane \textbf{A} = (\textbf{P}, \textbf{L}, \(\alpha\), \(\equiv\)) in the sense of \textit{H. Karzel} et al. [Einführung in die Geometrie. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck \& Ruprecht (1973; Zbl 0248.50001)], where \textbf{P} denotes the set of points in the plane, \textbf{L} denotes the set of lines in the plane, \(\alpha\) denotes the order structure in the plane, and \(\equiv\) denotes the congruence in the plane. In particular, the authors assume axioms \(\mathbf I_1\), \(\mathbf I_3\), \(\mathbf E_1\), \(\mathbf A_1\), \(\mathbf A_2\), and \(\mathbf V_1\) through \(\mathbf V_7\), of the axioms given by Karzel et al. [loc. cit.]. \textit{H. Karzel} and \textit{M. Marchi} showed in [Matematiche 61, No. 1, 27--36 (2006; Zbl 1195.51021)] that after assuming these axioms, an absolute geometry has a singular congruence, hyperbolic congruence, or elliptic congruence, thereby giving three classifications for an absolute geometry. A Lambert-Saccheri quadrangle is a 4-tuple \((a,b,c,d)\) such that \(\overline{a,d}\) \(\perp\) \(\overline{a,b}\) \(\perp\) \(\overline{b,c}\) \(\perp\) \(\overline{c,d}\). The authors give additional five classifications of an absolute plane using notions of distance, interior angle, and exterior angle introduced by \textit{H. Karzel} et al. [Result. Math. 51, No. 1--2, 61--71 (2007; Zbl 1142.51013); Discrete Math. 308, No. 2--3, 220--230 (2008; Zbl 1139.51019)], together with Lambert-Saccheri quadrangles and properties of triangles. More specifically, the authors use the fact that in an absolute geometry there exists triangles whose midlines are concurrent, and they classify absolute geometries by examining the locus of the concurrent point of midlines. They give further characterizations which are based on the length of the segment joining midpoints of two sides of any triangle.