Desargues maps and the Hirota-Miwa equation

We study the Desargues maps $\phi:\ZZ^N\to\PP^M$, which generate lattices whose points are collinear with all their nearest (in positive directions) neighbours. The multidimensional compatibility of the map is equivalent to the Desargues theorem and its higher-dimensional generalizations. The nonlinear counterpart of the map is the non-commutative (in general) Hirota--Miwa system. In the commutative case of the complex field we apply the nonlocal $\bar\partial$-dressing method to construct Desargues maps and the corresponding solutions of the equation. In particular, we identify the Fredholm determinant of the integral equation inverting the nonlocal $\bar\partial$-dressing problem with the $\tau$-function. Finally, we establish equivalence between the Desargues maps and quadrilateral lattices provided we take into consideration also their Laplace transforms.