Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase D

In projective geometry, an intersection theorem or incidence theorem is an incidence structure consisting of points, lines, and possibly higher-dimensional objects and their incidences, together with a pair of nonincident objects A and B (for instance, a point and a line). The "theorem" states that, whenever a set of objects satisfies the incidences (i.e. can be matched up with the objects of the incidence structure in a way that preserves incidence), then objects determined by A and B must also be incident. An intersection theorem is not necessarily true in all projective geometries; it is rather a property which some geometries satisfy but not others.

For example, Desargues' theorem can be stated using the following incidence structure:

• Points:
• Lines:
• Incidences (in addition to obvious ones such as :

The implication is then —that point R is incident with line PQ.

Famous examples

Desargues' theorem holds in a projective plane P if and only if P is the projective plane over some division ring D—. The projective plane is then called desarguesian. A theorem of Amitsur and Bergman states that, in the context of desarguesian projective planes, for every intersection theorem there is a rational identity such that the plane P satisfies the intersection theorem if and only if the division ring D satisfies the rational identity.

• Pappus's hexagon theorem holds in a desarguesian projective plane if and only if D is a field; it corresponds to the identity .
• Fano's theorem (which states a certain intersection does not happen) holds in if and only if D has characteristic ; it corresponds to the identity a+a=0.

References

• L. H. Rowen; Polynomial Identities in Ring Theory. Academic Press: New York, 1980.
• S. A. Amitsur; "Rational Identities and Applications to Algebra and Geometry", Journal of Algebra 3 no. 3 (1966), 304–359.