Solvable groups of automorphisms of stable planes

Abstract

An interesting problem in the foundations of geometry is the following question: What is the impact of the interplay of topological assumptions and homogeneity? One possibility to make this (rather philosophical) question treatable for a mathematician is the classification project for stable planes. We shall briefly outline the necessary definitions and basic (though occasionally deep) results. In section 2, we treat solvable groups of automorphisms of stable planes. This may serve as an example how the project works. Note, however, that the case of (semi-)simple groups of automorphisms is where Lie structure theory shows its full strength, cf. the final Remark.