Flat projective planes with 2-dimensional collineation group fixing at least two lines and more than two points (Q2639338)

This paper completes the classification of all compact projective planes of topological dimension~2 admitting a collineation group of dimension at least 2. By results of H. Salzmann, the collineation group \(\Sigma\) of such a plane \({\mathcal P}\) is a Lie group of dimension at most 8; furthermore \({\mathcal P}\) is the real projective plane if \(\dim\Sigma >4,\) and all planes \({\mathcal P}\) with \(\dim\Sigma \geq 3\) are known [see \textit{H. Salzmann}, Adv. Math. 2, 1--60 (1967; Zbl 0153.21601) for a survey]. By work of \textit{H. Groh} [J. Geom. 8, 145--162 (1976; Zbl 0336.50021), Abh. Math. Semin. Univ. Hamb. 48, 171--202 (1979; Zbl 0415.51007), and Geom. Dedicata 11, 69--98 (1981; Zbl 0517.51019)], \textit{I. Schellhammer} [Einige Klassen von ebenen projektiven Ebenen, Diplomarbeit Tübingen (1981)] and \textit{M. F. Lippert} [Flat projective planes with two-dimensional noncommutative automorphism group fixing a semioval, Diss. Darmstadt (1986; Zbl 0613.51014)] all planes with dim \(\Sigma\) \(=2\) are known, except in the following two cases: (1) the connected component \(\Sigma^ 1\cong L_ 2\), fixing precisely two lines and more than two points, and (2) the group \(\Sigma^ 1\cong {\mathbb R}^ 2\) with a triangle as fix configuration. These two cases are completely classified in the paper under review. For case (1), the author uses countably many convex functions and a homeomorphism of \(\mathbb R\) to construct a large class of projective planes, and then he shows that these planes exhaust all possibilities in case (1). For case (2) he constructs planes from suitable 12-tuples of arcs; these planes exhaust all possibilities in case (2). Furthermore the isomorphisms between these planes are expressed in terms of equivalences of the construction data. In both cases special constellations of the construction data lead to the ``Cartesian planes'' of \textit{H. Salzmann} [Abh. Math. Semin. Univ. Hamb. 27, 145--166 (1964; Zbl 0135.39201)], which have \(\dim\Sigma\geq 3\).