dˈaʊlɪŋ dʒiˈɑːmətɹiz hæv ɐ ɹˈoʊl ɪn mˈætɹɔɪd θˈiəɹi æz jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsəl ˈɑːbdʒɛkts kˈɑːn ænd kˈʌŋ, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi tˈuː; ɪn ðæt ɹᵻspˈɛkt ðeɪ ɑːɹ ɐnˈæləɡəs tə pɹədʒˈɛktɪv dʒiˈɑːmətɹiz, bˌʌt bˈeɪst ˌɔn ɡɹˈuːps ɪnstˈɛd ʌv fˈiːldz.
Dowling geometries have a role in matroid theory as universal objects (Kahn and Kung, 1982); in that respect they are analogous to projective geometries, but based on groups instead of fields.