On two nonbuilding but simply connected compact Tits geometries of type \(C_3\) (Q2331935)

In [Transform. Groups 19, No. 3, 793--852 (2014; Zbl 1309.51003)], \textit{L. Kramer} and \textit{A. Lytchak} obtained a classification of all flag-transitive compact Tits geometries, with connected panels, and of irreducible spherical type. Their result states that all such geometries are appropriate quotients of spherical buildings, except for exactly two examples (not surprisingly related to the real octonions). They did not mention whether these two examples are simply connected themselves, but if they are not, then from the above mentioned classification follows that no cover is flag-transitive and compact with connected panels. This provides a strategy to show that these two examples are simply connected: just show that their universal covers are flag-transitive and compact with connected panels. \textit{J. Schillewaert} and \textit{K. Struyve} accomplished this in [Groups Geom. Dyn. 11, No. 4, 1377--1399 (2017; Zbl 1385.51006)]. The present paper proves the simple connectivity of these two examples in a pure combinatorial way. Even more, the author does not even use the fact that the two examples are not covered by buildings (which he independently proves). The paper not only contains a beautiful proof, it also provides an extensive and nice introduction into the problem, and along the way also many additions to the paper of Schillewaert and Struyve, making many of their implicit result explicit.