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Viewing Version 4 of 'polarity'
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Title of object: polarity
Canonical Name: Polarity2
Type: Definition

Created on: 2006-06-09 12:04:48
Modified on: 2006-06-09 15:59:00

Creator: Algeboy
Modifier: Algeboy
Author: Algeboy

Classification: msc:51A05
Keywords: projective geometry, projective point, hyperplane, order preserving, order reversing
Defines: polarity, duality, correlation
Synonyms: polarity=order reversing

Preamble:

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Content:

\begin{defn}
\begin{itemize}
\item Given a finite dimensional vector space $V$, a \emph{duality} of the
projective geometry $PG(V)$ is an order-reversing bijection
$f:PG(V)\rightarrow PG(V)$.

\item A duality of order $2$ is called a \emph{polarity}.

\item The set of all order preserving and reversing bijections $f:PG(V)\rightarrow PG(V)$ form a group denoted $P\Gamma L^*(V)$.
\end{itemize}
\end{defn}

\begin{remark}
Dualities are also called \emph{correlations}. This is in contrast to
projectivities (collineations) which are order preserving bijections.
\end{remark}

\begin{remark}
A polarity/duality necessarily interchanges points with hyperplanes.
Thus an alternative definition of a duality is an projectivity $f:PG(V)\rightarrow PG(V^*)$.
\end{remark}

Through the use of the fundamental theorem of projective geometry, dualities and polarities can be identified with non-degenerate sesquilinear forms.