X-Nico

3 unusual facts about finite geometry


Finite geometry

For finite projective spaces of geometric dimension at least three, Wedderburn's little theorem implies that the division ring over which the projective space is defined must be a finite field, GF(q), whose order (that is, number of elements) is q (a prime power).

In 1892, Gino Fano was the first to consider such a finite geometry – a three dimensional geometry containing 15 points, 35 lines, and 15 planes, with each plane containing 7 points and 7 lines.

The first finite projective geometry was developed by the Italian mathematician Gino Fano.


Semifield

In projective geometry and finite geometry (MSC 51A, 51E, 12K10), a semifield is the analogue of a division algebra, but defined over the integers Z rather than over a field.


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