No Arabic abstract
For a set of distances D={d_1,...,d_k} a set A is called D-avoiding if no pair of points of A is at distance d_i for some i. We show that the density of A is exponentially small in k provided the ratios d_1/d_2, d_2/d_3, ..., d_{k-1}/d_k are all small enough. This resolves a question of Szekely, and generalizes a theorem of Furstenberg-Katznelson-Weiss, Falconer-Marstrand, and Bourgain. Several more results on D-avoiding sets are presented.
A Nikodym set $mathcal{N}subseteq(mathbb{Z}/(Nmathbb{Z}))^n$ is a set containing $Lsetminus{x}$ for every $xin(mathbb{Z}/(Nmathbb{Z}))^n$, where $L$ is a line passing through $x$. We prove that if $N$ is square-free, then the size of every Nikodym set is at least $c_nN^{n-o(1)}$, where $c_n$ only depends on $n$. This result is an extension of the result in the finite field case.
We study ErdH oss distinct distances problem under $ell_p$ metrics with integer $p$. We improve the current best bound for this problem from $Omega(n^{4/5})$ to $Omega(n^{6/7-epsilon})$, for any $epsilon>0$. We also characterize the sets that span an asymptotically minimal number of distinct distances under the $ell_1$ and $ell_infty$ metrics.
Frame matroids and lifted-graphic matroids are two distinct minor-closed classes of matroids, each of which generalises the class of graphic matroids. The class of quasi-graphic matroids, recently introduced by Geelen, Gerards, and Whittle, simultaneously generalises both the classes of frame and lifted-graphic matroids. Let $mathcal{M}$ be one of these three classes, and let $r$ be a positive integer. We show that $mathcal{M}$ has only a finite number of excluded minors of rank $r$.
The known families of difference sets can be subdivided into three classes: difference sets with Singer parameters, cyclotomic difference sets, and difference sets with gcd$(v,n)>1$. It is remarkable that all the known difference sets with gcd$(v,n)>1$ have the so-called character divisibility property. In 1997, Jungnickel and Schmidt posed the problem of constructing difference sets with gcd$(v,n)>1$ that do not satisfy this property. In an attempt to attack this problem, we use difference sets with three nontrivial character values as candidates, and get some necessary conditions.