Congruence criteria for finite subsets of quaternionic elliptic and quaternionic hyperbolic spaces (Q5933884)

The \(n\)-dimensional elliptic space \(E_n\) over the quaternion skew-field \(\mathbb H\) is the projective space \(\text{PG}_n\mathbb H\) together with the projective unitary group \(\text{PU}_{n+1}\mathbb H\) (formed with respect to the standard Hermitian form \(\langle\;,\;\rangle\)) as motion group. Let each point in \(E_n\) be represented by a unit vector \(x \in {\mathbb H}^{n+1}\), and define the associated matrix of an \(m\)-tuple \((x_1,\dots,x_m)\) as \(M=(\langle x_\iota,x_\kappa\rangle)_{\iota,\kappa}\). Theorem. Two \(m\)-tuples of points are congruent (under the motion group) if, and only if, their associated matrices are conjugate by a unitary diagonal matrix. The authors give an example of two non-congruent \(6\)-tuples in \(E_3\) such that all their corresponding subquintuples are congruent. Analogous results are obtained in the hyperbolic case.