Tits endomorphisms and buildings of type F_4

Abstract

The fixed point building of a polarity of a Moufang quadrangle of type F 4 is a Moufang set, as is the fixed point building of a semi-linear automorphism of order 2 of a Moufang octagon that stabilizes at least two panels of one type but none of the other. We show that these two classes of Moufang sets are, in fact, the same, that each member of this class can be constructed as the fixed point building of a group of order 4 acting on a building of type F 4 and that the group generated by all the root groups of any one of these Moufang sets is simple.