Lattice theory and metric geometry

Abstract.

K. Menger and G. Birkhoff recognized 70 years ago that lattice theory provides a framework for the development of incidence geometry (affine and projective geometry). We show in this article that lattice theory also provides a framework for the development of metric geometry (including the euclidean and classical non-euclidean geometries which were first discovered by A. Cayley and F. Klein). To this end we introduce and study the concept of a Cayley–Klein lattice. A detailed investigation of the groups of automorphisms and an algebraic characterization of Cayley–Klein lattices are included.