Simple connectivity in polar spaces (Q280776)

In [Twin buildings and applications to \(S\)-arithmetic groups. Berlin: Springer (1996; Zbl 0908.20003)], \textit{P. Abramenko} showed that for most thick rank 3 polar spaces \(\Delta\) the geometry \(\Delta^0(C)\) induced by the set of chambers opposite a given chamber \(C\) of \(\Delta\) is simply connected. There were a number of cases, comprising all non-embeddable thick polar spaces and certain polar spaces of small orders, which could not be conclusively dealt with. In the paper under review, the authors settle these open cases. For the case of non-embeddable thick polar spaces of rank 3, the authors use an explicit description of such polar spaces via Cayley-Dickson division algebras given by \textit{B. De Bruyn} and the third author [Münster J. Math. 7, No. 2, 557--588 (2014; Zbl 1345.51004)]. They then consider a nested sequence of subgeometries \(Y_i\), \(i=0,\ldots,10\), whose union is \(\Delta^0(C)\). The first of these subgeometries, \(Y_0\), can be strongly contracted onto a point. It is then shown that simple connectivity is preserved at each step. In case of finite polar spaces of small orders, the authors employ a group theoretic approach via corresponding root group datum of the polar spaces and using computer calculations. Combining their results with the earlier ones obtained by Abramenko [loc. cit.] it is now known that if \(C\) is a chamber of a thick polar space \(\Delta\) of rank 3, then \(\Delta^0(C)\) is simply connected except for the following cases: (1) \(\Delta\cong W(5, 2)\), \(W(5, 3)\), \(Q^-(7, 2)\), \(H(5, 2^2)\), where the covering degree is \(\infty\), (2) \(\Delta\cong W(5, 4)\), where the covering degree is 4, (3) \(\Delta\cong Q(6, 3)\), where the covering degree is 81.