Simplicial complexes from finite projective planes and colored configurations

Matt Superdock

Published 2021-10-23, updated 2022-03-24Version 3

In the 7-vertex triangulation of the torus, the 14 triangles can be partitioned as $T_{1} \sqcup T_{2}$, such that each $T_{i}$ represents the lines of a copy of the Fano plane $PG(2, \mathbb{F}_{2})$. We generalize this observation by constructing, for each prime power $q$, a simplicial complex $X_{q}$ with $q^{2} + q + 1$ vertices and $2(q^{2} + q + 1)$ facets consisting of two copies of $PG(2, \mathbb{F}_{q})$. Our construction works for any \emph{colored $k$-configuration}, defined as a $k$-configuration whose associated bipartite graph $G$ is connected and has a $k$-edge coloring $\chi \colon E(G) \to [k]$, such that for all $v \in V(G)$, $a, b, c \in [k]$, following edges of colors $a, b, c, a, b, c$ from $v$ brings us back to $v$. We give one-to-one correspondences between (1) Sidon sets of order 2 and size $k + 1$ in groups with order $n$, (2) linear codes with radius 1 and index $n$ in $A_{k}$, and (3) colored $(k + 1)$-configurations with $n$ points and $n$ lines. As a result, we suggest possible topological obstructions to the existence of Sidon sets, and in particular, planar difference sets.