Classification of tight regular polyhedra (Q289046)

In this paper the authors achieve a complete classification of tight regular abstract polyhedra in terms of possible values of \(p, \, q\) in their Schläfli symbol \(\{p, q \}\) and their automorphism groups. Let \((\mathcal P, \leq)\) be a ranked poset with elements of rank 0 (called vertices), elements of rank 1 (edges) and elements of rank 2 (faces). Two elements \(F\) and \(G\) are incident if \(F \leq G\) or \(G \leq F.\) A \textit{flag} of \(\mathcal P\) is any maximal chain and the \textit{vertex-figure} at a vertex \(F_0\) is defined to be \(\{ G\, |\, G > F_0 \}.\) Then \(\mathcal P\) is said to be an (abstract) polyhedron if (1)\, Every flag of \(\mathcal P\) consists of a vertex, an edge, and a face (all mutually incident); (2)\, Each edge is incident on exactly two vertices and two faces; (3)\, The graph determined by the vertex and edge sets is connected; (4) The vertex-figure at every vertex is isomorphic to the vertex and edge lattice of a connected regular graph. If \(\mathcal P\) is a polyhedron whose faces are all \(p\)-gons and whose vertex-figures are all \(q\)-gons then \(\mathcal P\) is said to be of type \(\{p, q\},\) which is also its Schläfli symbol. An incidence- and rank-preserving bijection from \(\mathcal P\) onto itself is an automorphism of \(\mathcal P.\) Let \(\Gamma (\mathcal P)\) denote the group of all automorphisms of \(\mathcal P.\) Then \(\mathcal P\) is called a \textit{regular} polyhedron if the natural action of \(\Gamma (\mathcal P)\) on the flags of \(\mathcal P\) is transitive. Its automorphism group \(\Gamma (\mathcal P)\) is generated by three abstract reflections \(\rho_0, \rho_1, \rho_2\) of any chosen flag. They satisfy \(\rho_i^2 = 1,\) for all \(i\) and \((\rho_0 \rho_2)^2 = 1.\) For a given regular polyhedron with its automorphism group \(\Gamma (\mathcal P)\) generated by \(\rho_0, \rho_1, \rho_2,\) one defines the abstract rotations \(\sigma_1:= \rho_0 \rho_1\) and \(\sigma_2:= \rho_1 \rho_2.\) The subgroup \(\Gamma^+ (\mathcal P)\) generated by \(\sigma_1\) and \(\sigma_2\) is called the rotation subgroup of \(\mathcal P.\) When the index of subgroup \(\Gamma^+ (\mathcal P)\) is 2, then \(\mathcal P\) is said to be \textit{orientably regular}. Otherwise, if \(\Gamma^+ (\mathcal P) = \Gamma (\mathcal P), \,\) \(\mathcal P\) is said to be \textit{non-orientably regular.} As shown in [the first author, Ars Math. Contemp. 7, No. 2, 299--315 (2014; Zbl 1311.51014)] a finite regular polyhedron of type \(\{p, q\}\) has at least \(2pq\) flags. When it has exactly \(2pq\) flags, the polyhedron is called \textit{tight.} In the paper being reviewed the authors produce a complete classification of the tight regular polyhedra. Namely, they prove \textbf{Theorem 1.} There is a tight regular polyhedron of type \(\{p, q\}\) (that is, with \(p\)-gonal faces and \(q\)-valent vertices) if and only if one of the following occurs: (a)\, \(p\) and \(q\) are both even; (b)\, \(p\) is odd and \(q\) is an even divisor of \(2p\); (c)\, \(q\) is odd and \(p\) is an even divisor of \(2q\); (d)\, \(p = 4\) and \(q\) is an odd multiple of 3; (e)\, \(q = 4\) and \(p\) is an odd multiple of 3. \newline In cases (b) and (c) there is one such polyhedron up to isomorphism, and it is orientably regular. In cases (d) and (e) there is also one polyhedron up to isomorphism, and it is non-orientably regular. Case (a) contains both orientably regular and non-orientably regular polyhedra. More precisely, in the latter case the authors prove \vskip0.1truecm \textbf{Theorem 2.}\, There is a tight non-orientably regular polyhedron of type \(\{p, q\}\) iff one of the following occurs: (a)\, \(p = 4\) and \(q = 3k\); (b)\, \(p = 4r\) and \(q = 6k,\) with \(k\) and \(r > 1\) odd; (c)\, \(q = 4\) and \(p = 3k\); (d)\, \(q = 4r\) and \(p = 6k,\) with \(k\) and \(r > 1\) odd. \newline In each case there is a unique such polyhedron up to isomorphism, except in the cases \(p = 4\) and \(q = 6k,\) or \(q = 4\) and \(p = 6k,\) in which there are two isomorphism types. \newline More detailed analysis of the automorphism group \(\Gamma (\mathcal P)\) reveals a subtler structure of each of the cases above.