Dissecting orthoschemes into orthoschemes (Q913251)

The author considers decompositions of orthoschemes, i.e. special (orthogonal) simplices, in d-dimensional spaces of constant curvature. He continues research for this subject of N. I. Lobachevsky, L. Schläfli, H. S. M. Coxeter and the reviewer. He generalizes their results as relations in the scissors congruence group and on the other hand as functional equations for the volumes of those orthoschemes. [\textit{N. J. Lobachevsky}, Zwei geometrische Abhandlungen; Teubner Leipzig (1898), German transl. \textit{L. Schläfli}: Gesammelte Mathematische Abhandlungen. Bd. I (1949; Zbl 0035.219), Bd. II (1953; Zbl 0051.241)], \textit{H. S. M. Coxeter}, Trisecting an orthoscheme, Comput. Math. Appl. 17, No.1-3, 59-71 (1989), and the reviewer and \textit{E. Hertel}, Polyedergeometrie in n-dimensionalen Räumen konstanter Krümmung (1981; Zbl 0466.52001).] In the last century Schläfli gave relations between the volumes of special spherical orthoschemes by applying his differential formula. H. S. M. Coxeter showed how to dissect an orthoscheme in a threedimensional space of constant curvature into three orthoschemes. Both extended their results to regular simplices and crosspolytopes in the corresponding spaces. In this paper the author exhibits a dissection (with one degree of freedom) of a d-dimensional orthoscheme in a d-space of constant curvature into \(d+1\) orthoschemes. Special cases are described. The generalization of Gauss's Pentagramme Mirificum configuration together with Napier's rule for d-dimensional spherical orthoschemes, first discovered by L. Schläfli, is described by the author's clear method of constructing a (Napier) pole sequence which determines the orthoscheme of a generalied Napier configuration. Thus he obtains scissors congruence formulae. Furthermore, his dissection explains the structure of the volume formula for asymptotic hyperbolic 3-orthoschemes due to Lobachevsky. At the end special volume relations of Schläfli and Coxeter for regular simplices and regular crosspolytopes can be interpreted on the level of dissection in spaces of constant curvature. Thus the reviewer confirmes the opinion of the author that it seems that all the exact values of the volume of special spherical 3-simplices known as far as now hold as consequences of scissors congruence relations.