A search for higher-dimensional arc planes (Q2479813)

The author studies finite dimensional stable planes \(E\) realized in \({\mathbb R}^{2^l}\), \(l\in \{1,2,3\}\), the automorphism group of which contains the sharply transitive translation group \(\Delta\) of \({\mathbb R}^{2^l}\). A line \(L\) is called a straight line if the stabilizer of \(L\) in \(\Delta\) is non-trivial. Otherwise the author calls \(L\) an arc. The straight lines of \(E\) are affine subspaces of \({\mathbb R}^{2^l}\), the arcs are graphs of non-affine functions. The plane \(E\) contains always a straight line. The author investigates stable planes \(E\) having arcs. If \(E\) contains only one straight line, then \(E\) looks in many aspects like a shift plane or is even one. If \(E\) contains more than one straight line, then the straight lines passing through \(0\) form a partial spread \(\mathcal{A}\). A partial spread \(\mathcal{A}\) is extendable if it is contained in a compact spread. If \(\mathcal{A}\) is extendable, then all arcs (and hence all lines) of \(E\) are connected. If \(l = \{1,2\}\) and if \(E\) has an extendable spread, then all lines of \(E\) are homeomorphic to \({\mathbb R}^l\).