Symplectic polarities of buildings of type E₆

A symplectic polarity of a building Delta of type E (6) is a polarity whose fixed point structure is a building of type F (4) containing residues isomorphic to symplectic polar spaces. In this paper, we present two characterizations of such polarities among all dualities. Firstly, we prove that, if a duality theta of Delta never maps a point to a neighbouring symp, and maps some element to a non-opposite element, then theta is a symplectic duality. Secondly, we show that, if a duality theta never maps a chamber to an opposite chamber, then it is a symplectic polarity. The latter completes the programme for dualities of buildings of type E (6) of determining all domestic automorphisms of spherical buildings, and it also shows that symplectic polarities are the only polarities in buildings of type E (6) for which the Phan geometry is empty

Semiaffine spaces

In this paper we improve on a result of Beutelspacher, De Vito & Lo Re, who characterized in 1995 finite semiaffine spaces by means of transversals and a condition on weak parallelism. Basically, we show that one can delete that condition completely. Moreover, we extend the result to the infinite case, showing that every plane of a planar space with atleast two planes and such that all planes are semiaffine, comes from a (Desarguesian) projective plane by deleting either a line and all of its points, a line and all but one of its points, a point, or nothing

Characterizations of Veronese and Segre varieties

We survey the known and recent characterizations of Segre varieties and Veronesea varieties

Primitive flag-transitive generalized hexagons and octagons

Suppose that an automorphism group $G$ acts flag-transitively on a finite generalized hexagon or octagon \cS, and suppose that the action on both the point and line set is primitive. We show that $G$ is an almost simple group of Lie type, that is, the socle of $G$ is a simple Chevalley group.Comment: forgot to upload the appendices in version 1, and this is rectified in version 2. erased cross-ref keys in version 3. Minor revision in version 4 to implement the suggestion by the referee (new section at the end, extended acknowledgment, simpler proof for Lemma 4.2

Imbrex geometries

We introduce an axiom on strong parapolar spaces of diameter 2, which arises naturally in the framework of Hjelmslev geometries. This way, we characterize the Hjelmslev-Moufang plane and its relatives (line Grassmannians, certain half-spin geometries and Segre geometries). At the same time we provide a more general framework for a Lemma of Cohen, which is widely used to study parapolar spaces. As an application, if the geometries are embedded in projective space, we provide a common characterization of (projections of) Segre varieties, line Grassmann varieties, half-spin varieties of low rank, and the exceptional variety $\mathcal{E}_{6,1}$ by means of a local condition on tangent spaces

Generalized polygons with non-discrete valuation defined by two-dimensional affine R-buildings

In this paper, we show that the building at infinity of a two-dimensional affine R-building is a generalized polygon endowed with a valuation satisfying some specific axioms. Specializing to the discrete case of affine buildings, this solves part of a long standing conjecture about affine buildings of type G~_2, and it reproves the results obtained mainly by the second author for types A~_2 and C~_2. The techniques are completely different from the ones employed in the discrete case, but they are considerably shorter, and general (i.e., independent of the type of the two-dimensional R-building)

On the varieties of the second row of the split Freudenthal-Tits Magic Square

Our main aim is to provide a uniform geometric characterization of the analogues over arbitrary fields of the four complex Severi varieties, i.e.~the quadric Veronese varieties in 5-dimensional projective spaces, the Segre varieties in 8-di\-men\-sional projective spaces, the line Grassmannians in 14-dimensional projective spaces, and the exceptional varieties of type $\mathsf{E}_{6}$ in 26-dimensional projective space. Our theorem can be regarded as a far-reaching generalization of Mazzocca and Melone's approach to finite quadric Veronesean varieties. This approach takes projective properties of complex Severi varieties as smooth varieties as axioms.Comment: Small updates, will be published in Annales de l'institut Fourie

Affine twin R-buildings

AbstractIn this paper, we define twinnings for affine R-buildings. We thus extend the theory of simplicial twin buildings of affine type to the non-simplicial case. We show how classical results can be extended to the non-discrete case, and, as an application, we prove that the buildings at infinity of a Moufang twin R-building have the induced structure of a Moufang building. The latter is not true for ordinary “Moufang” R-buildings