A note on Laguerre translations (Q2493215)

A Laguerre translation in a Laguerre plane \(L\) is an automorphism of \(L\) that fixes the points of a parallel class and induces a translation in the derived affine plane at one of its fixed points. In this well-written paper the author uses the correspondence between \(2n\)-dimensional Laguerre planes and compact antiregular generalized quadrangles with parameters \(n = 1, 2\) and proves the following results: Theorem. Let \(L\) be a \(2n\)-dimensional Laguerre plane, \(n=1,2\), and let \(\alpha\) be an automorphism of \(L\) that fixes a point \(p\) and induces a translation in the derived affine plane at \(p\). Then \(\alpha\) is a Laguerre translation unless \(\alpha\) is in the kernel of \(L\). (The kernel consists of all automorphisms that fix each parallel class.) Theorem. Let \(L\) be a \(2n\)-dimensional Laguerre plane, \(n=1,2\), and let \(\alpha\) be an automorphism in the kernel of \(L\) that fixes a point \(p\) and induces a translation in the derived affine plane at \(p\). Then each of the following implies that \(\alpha\) is a Laguerre translation: 1. \(n=2\); 2. there is a Laguerre translation not in the kernel of \(L\) that also fixes \(p\); and 3. \(L\) is ovoidal. He also observes that the ovoidal case does not require any topological assumption, and then he is able to prove the following result. Theorem. Let \(L\) be an ovoidal Laguerre plane over an oval that is also a dual oval. Let \(\alpha\) be an automorphism of \(L\) that fixes a point \(p\) and induces a translation in the derived affine plane at \(p\). Then \(\alpha\) is a Laguerre translation.