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arXiv:2601.11455

Frame eversion and contextual geometric rigidity

Alexandru Chirvasitu

Published Jan 16, 2026• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We prove rigidity results describing contextually-constrained maps defined on Grassmannians and manifolds of ordered independent line tuples in finite-dimensional vector or Hilbert spaces. One statement in the spirit of the Fundamental Theorem of Projective Geometry classifies maps between full Grassmannians of two $n$-dimensional Hilbert spaces, $n\ge 3$, preserving dimension and lattice operations for pairs with commuting orthogonal projections, as precisely those induced by semilinear injections unique up to scaling. In a different but related direction, denote the manifolds of ordered orthogonal (linearly-independent) $n$-tuples of lines in an $n$-dimensional Hilbert space $V$ by $\mathbb{F}^{\perp}(V)$ (respectively $\mathbb{F}(V)$) and, for partitions $π$ of the set $\{1..n\}$, call two tuples $π$-linked if the spans along $π$-blocks agree. A Wigner-style rigidity theorem proves that the symmetric maps $\mathbb{F}^{\perp}(\mathbb{C}^n)\to \mathbb{F}(\mathbb{C}^n)$, $n\ge 3$ respecting $π$-linkage are precisely those induced by semilinear injections, hence by linear or conjugate-linear maps if also assumed measurable. On the other hand, in the $\mathbb{F}(\mathbb{C}^n)$-defined analogue the only other possibility is a qualitatively new type of purely-contextual-global symmetry transforming a tuple $(\ell_i)_i$ of lines into $\left(\left(\bigoplus_{j\ne i}\ell_j\right)^{\perp}\right)_i$.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2601.11455

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Wigner's theorem is a fundamental part of the mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics. The theorem characterizes unitary and anti-unitary operators as symmetries of quantum mechanical systems, and is a key result when relating preserver problems to quantum mechanics. At the heart of this book is a geometric approach to Wigner-type theorems, unifying both classical and more recent results. Readers are initiated in a wide range of topics from geometric transformations of Grassmannians to lattices of closed subspaces, before moving on to a discussion of applications. An introduction to all the key aspects of the basic theory is included as are plenty of examples, making this book a useful resource for beginning graduate students and non-experts, as well as a helpful reference for specialist researchers.