On orthocentric systems in Minkowski planes (Q2257004)

Let \((R^2, \|\cdot\|)\) be a normed plane with unit sphere \(\mathcal C\). Given the points \(x_1\), \(x_2\), \(x_3\) and \(p_4\), it is considered the point \(q=\frac{x_1+x_2+x_3-p_4}{2}\), and \(p_1\) is defined as the reflection point respect to \(q\) of the midpoint of the line segment meeting \(x_2\) and \(x_3\). Considering the other midpoints of the sides of the triangle \(\triangle x_1x_2x_3\), the points \(p_2\) and \(p_3\) are defined in a similar way. If \(p_4\) is a circumcenter of \(x_1\), \(x_2\) and \(x_3\), the authors define the \(\mathcal C_{p_4}\)-orthocenter of \(\triangle x_1x_2x_3\) as the reflection point (noted as \(x_4\)) of \(p_4\) respect to \(q\). A set of four points, one of which is the \(\mathcal C_p\)-orthocenter of the other three associated with some circumcenter \(p\), is called a \(\mathcal C\)-orthocentric system. With the above notation, the authors prove, among other things, that if \(p_4\) is a circumcenter of \(x_1\), \(x_2\) and \(x_3\), then the set of points \(\{x_1,x_2,x_3,x_4\}\) and \(\{p_1,p_2,p_3,p_4\}\) are both \(\mathcal C\)-orthocentric systems, and the midpoints of the sides of \(\triangle x_1x_2x_3\) and \(\triangle p_1p_2p_3\) are situated at the same distance of \(q\) (the Six-Points Circle theorem). They also extend the notion of Euler's line to any general Minkowski plane. Finally, some characterizations of the Euclidean plane are presented using the notions of \(\mathcal C\)-orthocentric system, and Birkhoff and isosceles orthogonalities. This interesting article is related to the previous papers by \textit{E. Asplund} and \textit{B. Grünbaum} [Enseign. Math. (2) 6, 299--306 (1961; Zbl 0102.36804)] and \textit{H. Martini} and \textit{M. Spirova} [Enseign. Math. (2) 53, No. 3--4, 237--258 (2007; Zbl 1144.52001)], where the circumcenter systems are studied for strictly convex normed planes. The last part of characterizations of the Euclidean plane is influenced by \textit{H. Martini} and \textit{S. Wu} [Extr. Math. 24, No. 1, 31--45 (2009; Zbl 1196.52003)].