Some notes on tetrahedrally closed spherical sets in Euclidean spaces (Q2421571)

For \((k+1)\)-distinct real numbers \(b_0,b_1,\ldots,b_k\), the concept of a tetrahedrally closed spherical set \(\Sigma \subset \mathbb{R}^n\) of type \(\{b_0,b_1,\ldots,b_k\}\) is defined. Also for a point-line incidence geometry \(\mathcal{S}=(\mathcal{P},\mathcal{L},\mathrm{I})\), the concept of a near polygon is defined. For \(k\in \mathbb{N}\), a near \(2k\)-gon is a near polygon \(\mathcal{S}\) for which the collinearity graph has diameter \(k\). In two main theorems the close connection between a family of tetrahedrally closed spherical sets in Euclidean spaces and a family of near polygons has been described. While studying this connection, a certain Property NP-(stands for ``Near Polygon'') for tetrahedrally closed spherical sets has been described. Also for a near \(2k\)-gon \(\mathcal{S}\) with three points per line, a certain matrix \(A_{\mathcal{S}}\) is associated which in all the known examples is a positive semidefinite matrix. The content of the two main theorems is summarized as follows. It is shown that for every near \(2k\)-gon \(\mathcal{S}\) with three points per line for which \(A_{\mathcal{S}}\) is positive semidefinite, there is an associated tetrahedrally closed spherical set \(\Sigma\) of type \(\{b_0,b_1,\ldots,b_k\}\) which satisfies the property NP where \(b_i=\frac{2^{i-3}-(-1)^{i-3}}{9.2^{i-3}},i\geq 0\). Conversely for every tetrahedrally closed spherical set of type \(\{b_0,b_1,\ldots,b_k\}\) satisfying the property NP, there can be derived a finite near polygons \(\mathcal{S}\) with three points per line for which the associated matrices \(A_{\mathcal{S}}\) are positive semidefinite. It is not known, whether the matrix \(A_{\mathcal{S}}\) is always positive semidefinite for any finite near polygon \(\mathcal{S}\) with three points per line.