Simplicial arrangements in real projective three-space revisited

Abstract

In this paper we study irreducible simplicial arrangements of projective planes in $\mathbb{P}^{3}(\mathbb{R})$ from combinatorial and projective geometry viewpoints. We first formulate a simpliciality criterion in terms of incidences between rank-two and rank-three flats, together with equivalent formulations using face numbers, reduced restrictions, and characteristic polynomials. We also relate the classical planar restriction data of Grünbaum-Shephard to Ziegler multirestrictions. Our principal result concerns the rank-four special-vertex property: among the irreducible crystallographic Coxeter arrangements of rank four, the arrangements of types $A_4$ and $B_4$ admit a special vertex, whereas those of types $D_4$ and $F_4$ do not. A simplicial deletion chain inside $B_4$ supplies further irreducible examples with a special vertex. Finally, we compare rank-flat, Purdy-type, and Grünbaum-Shephard defects for these arrangements.