Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T19:19:49.562Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A variant of the fundamental theorem of projective geometry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2010

R. J. Plymen
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL.
C. M. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL.
Get access

Extract

Let K be a field and * an involution of K. Let V and V′ be vector spaces over K of dimensions greater than or equal to 3, and let P(V) and P(F′) denote the projective spaces associated with V and V′ respectively. The fundamental theorem of projective geometry states that a bijection σ between P(V) and P(V′), which preserves the collinearity of points in P(V) and P(V′), is induced by a semi-linear bijection ø between V and V′ with respect to an automorphism α of K. We now consider the following additional structure on V and V′. Let f and f′ be hermitian forms with respect to * on V and V′ respectively; they define twisted polarities in P(V) and P(V′). We prove the following theorem. If there are no self-polar points in P(V) and P(V′) and σ preserves the twisted polarities, then ø is “almost” an isomorphism of the hermitian forms in the sense that

for some non-zero A in K such that A = A*. We give examples of forms f and f′ satisfying the above condition and we illustrate our theorem.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © University College London 1976

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Artin, E.. Geometric algebra (Interscience, New York, 1964).Google Scholar
2.Godement, R.. Algebra (Kershaw, London, 1969).Google Scholar
3.Mordell, L. J.. Diophantine equations (Academic Press, London and New York, 1969).Google Scholar
4.Serre, J.-P.. A course in arithmetic (Springer-Verlag, New York, 1973).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Uhlhorn, U.. “Representation of symmetry transformations in quantum mechanics”, Arkiv Fysik, 23 (1963), 307340.Google Scholar