The point space of compact generalized quadrangles with parameter 1 (Q4486735)

A compact generalized quadrangle with (topological) parameter 1 is a compact quadrangle where point rows and line pencils are homeomorphic to the unit sphere in \(\mathbb{R}^2\). The two classical examples are the real orthogonal quadrangle and its point-line dual the real symplectic quadrangle. The former has twisting number 0 and the latter has twisting number 1, a topological concept introduced by the author in `Topological circle planes and topological quadrangles', Pitman (1995; Zbl 0839.51013). The present paper establishes the following converse which solves a problem that had remained open for some time: Up to duality, the point space and line space of a compact generalized quadrangle with parameter 1 are homeomorphic to the point space and line space of the real orthogonal quadrangle. The details are rather technical and involve computations with the fundamental group. The author warms up to his subject by considering the analogous problem for topological planes and concludes by considering what it would take to settle the corresponding question in the more general case of compact connected finite dimensional generalized quadrangles where point rows are homeomorphic to line pencils.