×

5-reflectionality of anisotropic orthogonal groups over valuation rings. (English) Zbl 0747.20026

Let \(R\) be a valuation ring with maximal ideal \(J\), and let \(V\) be a free \(R\)-module of finite rank \(n\) equipped with a symmetric bilinear form whose induced form on \(V/JV\) is anisotropic. The author shows that if \(\pi\) is an element of the orthogonal group of \(V\) such that the image of \(\pi^ 2-1\) is a direct summand of \(V\), then \(\pi\) is a product of two orthogonal involutions. Further, if \(n\) is odd, every orthogonal mapping of \(V\) is a product of five involutions; four suffice when \(n\) is even. A new proof of D. Ljubić’s theorem [Can. Math. Bull. 32, 54-63 (1989; Zbl 0635.51010)] on isometry group of absolute geometries is also presented.

MSC:

20H25 Other matrix groups over rings
20F05 Generators, relations, and presentations of groups
15A23 Factorization of matrices
11E57 Classical groups
Full Text: DOI

References:

[1] F. Bachmann, Aufbau der Geometrie aus dem Spiegelungsbegriff, 2^nd edition, Springer 1973. · Zbl 0254.50001
[2] Dokovic, D. Z., The Product of Two Involutions in the Unitary Group of a Hermitian Form, Indiana Univ. Math. J., 21, 449-456 (1971) · Zbl 0226.20036 · doi:10.1512/iumj.1971.21.21035
[3] Ellers, E. W.; Frank, R., Products of Quasireflections and Transvections over Local Rings, J. Geom., 31, 69-78 (1988) · Zbl 0639.20031 · doi:10.1007/BF01222386
[4] H. Kinder, Begründung dern-dimensionalen absoluten, Geometrie aus dem Spiegelungsprinzip, Dissertation, Kiel 1965.
[5] Knüppel, F.; Nielsen, K., Products of Involutions in O^+(V), Lin. Alg. and Appl., 94, 217-222 (1987) · Zbl 0623.20036 · doi:10.1016/0024-3795(87)90092-9
[6] Lubić, D., Bireflectionality in Absolute Geometry, Canad. Math. Bull., 32, 54-63 (1989) · Zbl 0635.51010
[7] Wonnenburger, M. J., Transformations Which Are Products of Two Involutions, J. Math. Mech., 16, 327-338 (1966) · Zbl 0168.03403
This reference list is based on information provided by the publisher or from digital mathematics libraries. Its items are heuristically matched to zbMATH identifiers and may contain data conversion errors. In some cases that data have been complemented/enhanced by data from zbMATH Open. This attempts to reflect the references listed in the original paper as accurately as possible without claiming completeness or a perfect matching.