Rational geometry in space (Q809189)

The authors consider the action of the group M(3,\({\mathbb{Q}})\), defined as the semidirect product of the orthogonal group \({\mathcal O}(3,{\mathbb{Q}})\) and of the group of translations \({\mathcal T}(3,{\mathbb{Q}})\), in the space \({\mathbb{R}}^ 3\). The group \({\mathcal M}(3,{\mathbb{Q}})\) is the subgroup of the group of rigid motions of the Euclidean space \({\mathbb{R}}^ 3\) consisting of those defined by equations with rational coefficients. Two objects of \({\mathbb{R}}^ 3\) are said to be Q-equal if there is a transformation in M(3,\({\mathbb{Q}})\) mapping one of them onto another. Rational lines and planes of \({\mathbb{R}}^ 3\) are distinguished as those determined by equations with rational coefficients; and rational segments, polygons, etc. are systems of points with all coordinates rational. Contrary to the classical case there are pairs of not Q-equal rational lines of not Q- equal rational planes, though the notions of Q-equality and of ``Euclidean equality'' (congruence modulo \({\mathcal O}(3,{\mathbb{R}})\cdot {\mathcal T}(3,{\mathbb{R}}))\) coincide for rational segments and polygons. The authors study in some details the structure of the group \({\mathcal O}(3,{\mathbb{Q}})\); in particular, a parametrization of the stabilizer of a rational vector in the group \({\mathcal O}(3,{\mathbb{Q}})\) is given explicitly. Finally, the authors show a representation of the quotient space \({\mathbb{Q}}^ 3/{\mathcal O}(3,{\mathbb{Q}})\). The article contains a lot of comments which point out the value of the subject in exact computation experiments.