Topological antiregular quadrangles (Q689897)

The author considers topological antiregular quadrangles whose points rows and line pencils are manifolds. \textit{N. Knarr} [Forum Math. 2, No. 6, 603-612 (1990; Zbl 0711.51002)] showed that in this case there are positive integers \(p\) and \(q\) such that every point row is homeomorphic to \(S^ p\) and every line pencil is homeomorphic to \(S^ q\). The author proves that, in fact, \(p=q\) for topological antiregular quadrangles. It is well-known that the derivation of an antiregular quadrangle at each point is a Laguerre plane. Here it is shown that the derivation of such a quadrangle at each point yields a topological Laguerre plane, that is, the geometric operations of the Laguerre plane are continuous on their domains of definition. Consequently, point rows and line pencils are homeomorphic to \(S^ n\) where \(n=1,2\) in the dimension of a point row. In Geom. Dedicata 46, 339-361 (1993) the author conversely proved that the Lie geometry of a topological locally compact \(2n\)-dimensional Laguerre plane is a topological antiregular quadrangle for \(n=1,2\). This correspondence between 2-dimensional Laguerre planes and topological 3- dimensional antiregular quadrangles was used by the author [J. Geom. 42, No. 1/2, 141-147 (1991; Zbl 0746.51007)] to solve the Apollonius problem in 2-dimensional Laguerre planes. The results in the paper under review imply that there is some continuity in the solution to this problem in Laguerre planes.