Lattice theory and metric geometry (Q998764)

The authors give a description of metric geometry in terms of lattices, in particular elliptic, hyperbolic and Minkowski spaces are characterized. To this end, they introduce so-called Cayley-Klein lattices: Let be given a projective (= modular geometric) lattice \(\mathcal L\) of finite dimension \(n\) (=\,length \(n+1\)). A polarity on a lattice is a mapping \(\pi\) such that \(\pi(\pi(x)) = x\) and \(x\leq\pi(y)\) implies \(y\leq\pi(x)\) for all elements \(x,y\) of the lattice, i.e. \(\pi\) is a projective correlation of the lattice. If there are given natural numbers \(n\) and \(r\) with \(0\leq r \leq n\), a chain \(\varepsilon_0, \varepsilon_1, \dots \varepsilon_{r+1}\) with \(0=\varepsilon_0 < \varepsilon_1 < \dots < \varepsilon_{r+1} = 1\), and polarities \(\pi_k\) for any interval \([\varepsilon_{k-1}, \varepsilon_k]\) with \(1 \leq k \leq r+1\), then the authors call \({\mathcal C} = ({\mathcal L}, (([\varepsilon_{0}, \varepsilon_1], \pi_1), \dots, ([\varepsilon_{r}, \varepsilon_{r+1}], \pi_{r+1}))) \) a Cayley-Klein lattice of dimension \(n\). The authors give as basic examples among others: {\parindent=5mm \begin{itemize}\item[1)] The lattice of subspaces of a Cayley-Klein vector space \((V,f_1, \dots, f_r)\), i.e. a finite-di\-men\-sion\-al left vector space \(V\) over a division ring \(D\), equipped with alternating bilinear forms or \(\sigma\)-Hermitian forms \(f_1,\dots,f_r\), such that \(\text{rank}(f_1)+\dots+\text{rank}(f_r)=n\), and rank\((f_i)\geq 1\) on \(R_i\), \(R_0 = V\), and \(R_i:=\text{rad} (R_{i-1}, f_i)\), for \(i=1,\dots, r\). \(\sigma\) denotes an anti-isomorphism of \(D\) of order 2, while \(R_i\) denotes the radical of \(f_i\) in \(R_{i-1}\). \item[2)] Projective spaces with an elliptic, hyperbolic, Euclidean, Galilean and Minkowskian metric, cf., for instance, \textit{O. Giering} [Vorlesungen über höhere Geometrie. Braunschweig -- Wiesbaden: Friedr. Vieweg \& Sohn (1982; Zbl 0493.51001)], \textit{H. Struve} and \textit{R. Struve} [J. Geom. 81, No. 1--2, 155--167 (2004; Zbl 1078.51001)], Ch. III. \S3 in \textit{H. Karzel} and \textit{H.-J. Kroll} [Geschichte der Geometrie seit Hilbert. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft (1988; Zbl 0718.01003)]. \item[3)] The configuration of Desargues, Pappus, and Petersen; cf. \textit{H. Struve} and \textit{R. Struve} [Arch. Math. 48, No. 2, 178--184 (1987; Zbl 0608.51009)]. \end{itemize}} The principle of duality holds for Cayley-Klein-lattices (i.e. for metric geometries), and self-dual Cayley-Klein lattices are characterized. \textit{E. Inönü} and \textit{E. P. Wigner} introduced contractions of Lie groups in [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 39, 510--524 (1953; Zbl 0050.02601)] in order to describe the passage from relativistic to classical mechanics. A corresponding procedure in terms of Cayley-Klein latties \(\mathcal C\), called splitting, is given. This means to refine the chain of lattice elements \(\varepsilon_k\) by splitting some of the intervals in \(\mathcal C\). Metric concepts like the notions of polar and orthogonality are defined for Cayley-Klein lattices. Existence and uniqueness of polars are treated. The structure of the automorphism group is analyzed in the more general setting of universal flag lattices \(\mathcal F\), which are defined to be Cayley-Klein lattices, where instead of the existence of a polarity \(\pi_k\) on each interval one requires only a finitary relation \(\rho_k\), which may even be void. Hence the notion of universal flag lattice comprises Cayley-Klein lattices and the lattices of incidence geometry. (Projective) collineations of \(\mathcal F\) which respect the relations \(\rho_k\) are called (projective) automorphisms. Projective automorphisms are characterized as products of stretchings, translations, and automorphisms which are induced by automorphisms of an interval. Finally, the authors prove that an irreducible Cayley-Klein lattice of dimension \(\geq 3\) may be coordinatized uniquely up to isomorphism by a Cayley-Klein vector space.