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Let $\kappa$ be an infinite cardinal. We say $E\subseteq {\cal P}(\kappa)$ is an infinite projective plane on $\kappa$ if

  1. $e_1\neq e_2\in E$ implies $|e_1\cap e_2| = 1$, and
  2. whenever $n\neq m\in \kappa$, there is $e\in E$ with $\{n,m\}\subseteq e$.

Is it possible to find an infinite projective plane $E$ on an infinite cardinal $\kappa$ such that for all members of $E$ we have $|e|<\kappa$?

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    $\begingroup$ If you are in a theory where enough cardinal arithmetic holds, specifically kappa times kappa equals kappa, then I would say no. If you have more than one edge, then each edge has a fixed number of points, the number of lines is the same as the number of points, and the relation above gives each edge is equipollent to the whole space. Gerhard "See Artin's Geometric Algebra For More" Paseman, 2017.12.03. $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 3, 2017 at 16:07
  • $\begingroup$ @GerhardPaseman Why not make this an answer? $\endgroup$
    – Goldstern
    Commented Dec 29, 2017 at 23:45

2 Answers 2

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Update. Here is a new simpler answer that works for all regular $\kappa$, including $\kappa=\omega$. And I have omitted the use of Fodor's lemma, using instead merely the pigeon-hole principle.

Suppose that $\kappa$ is infinite and we have a projective plane on $\kappa$ many points, with all lines of size less than $\kappa$. Since there are $\kappa$ many pairs of points, there must be $\kappa$ many distinct lines. Enumerate them as $\langle e_\alpha\mid\alpha<\kappa\rangle$. When $\kappa=\omega$, this is a simple $\omega$-sequence $e_0$, $e_1$, and so on.

Consider the line $e_0$, which has fewer than $\kappa$ many points. For each line $e_\gamma$ for $\gamma\neq 0$, let $\alpha_\gamma$ be the unique element of $e_\gamma\cap e_0$. Since $\kappa$ is regular, it follows by the pigeon-hole principle that there is a subset $S\subset\kappa$ of size $\kappa$ with constant value $\alpha_\gamma=\alpha$ for $\alpha\in S$. Since $\alpha$ cannot be on all the lines, there is some line $e_i$ with $\alpha\notin e_i$. For $\gamma>i$, let $\beta_\gamma$ be the unique element of $e_\gamma\cap e_i$. Since $e_i$ has size less than $\kappa$, it follows again by the pigeon-hole principle that there is some $S'\subset S$ of size $\kappa$ with constant value $\beta_\gamma=\beta$ for all $\gamma\in S'$.

Note that $\alpha\neq\beta$, since $\alpha\notin e_i$, while $\beta\in e_i$. But note also that $\alpha,\beta\in e_\gamma$ for all $\gamma\in S'$, which means that all these lines have at least two points in common, contrary to the requirement (1) that any two lines intersect in exactly one point. $\Box$

The case of singular $\kappa$ seems to remain open.

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    $\begingroup$ Beautiful - and thanks for avoiding Fodor's lemma, I have had a hard time understanding it (and not fully succeeded). $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 4, 2017 at 7:52
  • $\begingroup$ Sure, it was my pleasure, a very nice question. I wonder which way the singular cardinals case goes? I find it not unreasonable that one might make a counterexample with a singular cardinal, but I'm not sure. $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 4, 2017 at 16:58
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Encouraged by (Martin?) Goldstern, I resurrect some half-remembered arguments from Emil Artin's Geometric Algebra, although there likely are more recent sources and perhaps cleaner presentations than below.

Dominic's setup and condition 2 implies there is at least one line. If there is exactly one line, then it is the whole space. Moving on to the case of there being at least two lines with none of them singleton sets, given a line (warning: notational conflict with question ahead) $E$ there is then a point $p$ which is not on $E$. The number of lines through $p$ is in 1-1 correspondence with the number $\lambda$ of points on $E$; condition 1 shows there are at most $\lambda$ many lines through $p$, while condition 2 gives at least that many lines. However, this is true for every point $p$ off of $E$. If there is another line $F$ different from $E$ not containing $p$ (and there is since we have enough points and lines, otherwise $p$ is the only point off of $E$), the same argument shows $F$ has as many points as does $E$. This further extends to all lines through $p$: each of those has $\lambda$ many points.

Finally we have $\lambda \leq \kappa \leq \lambda \cdot \lambda$. The left inequality follows because $E$ is a proper subset of the space. The right hand follows because all the lines through $p$ cover the space. If we are in a set theory with nice cardinal arithmetic, then the left hand side equals the right hand side, and the answer to the question becomes no. The case involving singleton sets is left to Joel.

Gerhard "More Comfortable With Finitary Logic" Paseman, 2017.12.29.

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  • $\begingroup$ It turns out the existence of $F$ is trickier than I supposed. $F$ might not exist, but then (again assuming nice cardinal arithmetic) the answer to the question is no, because $E$ is big enough. If $F$ does exist with $p$ not on $F$, then $E$ and $F$ are then equipollent. That the argument leading to a no answer needs little more I again leave to Joel. Gerhard "Leaving To Joel Is Nice" Paseman, 2017.12.29. $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 30, 2017 at 3:18
  • $\begingroup$ Also, there is a general theory of projective geometries which are lattices (with join and meet). Dominic's condition 1 defines a semi lattice, while a uniqueness version of condition 2 would make it a full lattice. I believe conditions 1 and 2 imply the line in condition 2 is unique. In addition to the cases where all the lines have the same number of points, there are two kinds of geometries with the lines having differing numbers. I believe that and the single line geometry are all that there is. Gerhard "Proof Left To You Know" Paseman, 2017.12.29. $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 30, 2017 at 3:43
  • $\begingroup$ It's a nice line of thought, thanks for your additional answer! $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 30, 2017 at 7:53
  • $\begingroup$ There is at most one line which is a singleton (otherwise you would have two lines that do not meet). No line has exactly 2 points (otherwise there would be only 3 points and 3 lines, or 2 points and 1 line). So just remove the singleton line (if any) together with its point, and apply your argument to the remaining configuration. $\endgroup$
    – Goldstern
    Commented Dec 30, 2017 at 8:36
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    $\begingroup$ Unfortunately, there is a model of one line with kappa points, and kappa lines with two points. Apart from this and the two line geometry, all the others on an infinite set are uniform in line size, with a clear bijection between number of points on a line and number of lines on a point. Gerhard "Duality Is Kind Of Metamathematical" Paseman, 2017.12.30. $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 30, 2017 at 8:47

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