SOME DIRECT AND INVERSE THEOREMS IN

SUMSETS

Vrinda Dhingra

November 22,2017

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1 Table of Contents
2 Definitions
Some Definitions
3 Results on Sumsets of Integers
Direct Theorems
Inverse Theorems
4 Results on Restricted Sumsets of Integers
Definition: Restricted Sumsets
Direct and Inverse Theorems
5 Addition in Groups
Sumsets of Abelian Groups
Direct Theorems
Inverse Theorem
6 Direct Theorem for Finite Abelian Groups
7 Biblography
8 End
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 Definitions

Some Definitions

Sumset
Let A1 , A2 , A3 , . . . , Ah be sets of integers. The sumset
A1 + A2 + A3 + · · · + Ah is defined as-

A1 + A2 + · · · + Ah = {a1 + a2 + · · · + ah | ai ∈ Ai ; i = 1, 2, . . . , h}

If A is a set of integers and Ai = A , forall i = 1, 2, . . . , h, then

A + A + · · · + A = hA = {a1 + a2 + a3 + · · · + ah | ai ∈ Ai ; i = 1, 2, . . . , h}.

Such a sumset is called h-fold sumset of A.

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 Definitions Some Definitions

Direct Problem
A direct problem in Number theory is a problem in which we try to
determine the structure and properties of the h-fold sumset hA when the
set A is known.
Example : Lagrange’s Four Square Theorem- ”Every non negative integer
can be written as the sum of four squares”

Inverse Problem
An inverse problem in Number theory is a problem in which we attempt to
deduce properties of the set A from the properties of the sumset hA.
Example : If A and B are finite sets of integers such that |A| = |B| = k,
and if |A + B| = 2k − 1, then A and B are arithmetic progressions with
the same common difference.

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 Results on Sumsets of Integers Direct Theorems

Direct Theorem on Sumsets of Integers

Theorem1: Characterization Theorem on Sumsets (Nathanson):

Let k ≥ 2 and let A = {a0 , a1 , . . . , ak−1 } be a finite set of integers such
that 0 = a0 < a1 < a2 < . . . < ak−1 and (a1 , a2 , a3 , . . . , ak−1 ) = 1, then
there exists integers c and d and sets C and D, C ⊆ [0, c − 2] and
D =⊆ [0, d − 2] such that hA = C ∪ [c, hak−1 − d] ∪ (hak−1 − D) for all
h ≥ max(1, (k − 2)(ak−1 − 1)ak−1 )

Theorem2:
Let h ≥ 2 and let A1 , A2 , . . . , Ah be finite sets of integers. Then,
|A1 | + |A2 | + · · · + |Ah | ≤ |A1 + A2 + · · · + Ah | ≤ |A1 ||A2 | · · · |Ah |

Corollary:
Let h ≥ 2 and let A be a finite set of integers with |A| = k. Then,
h
hk − (h − 1) ≤ |hA| ≤ kh! .
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 Results on Sumsets of Integers Inverse Theorems

Inverse Theorem on Sumsets of Integers

Theorem3:
Let h ≥ 2 and let A1 , A2 , . . . , Ah be finite sets of integers. Then,
|A1 + A2 + · · · + Ah | = |A1 | + |A2 | + · · · + |Ah | − (h − 1) if and only if
A1 , A2 , . . . , Ah are arithmetic progressions with same common difference.

Corollary:
h-fold generalization of the above theorem is: Let h ≥ 2 and let A be a
finite set of integers with |A| = k.Then, |hA| = hk − (h − 1) if and only if
A is a k-term arithmetic progression.

Theorem4:
Let A be a finite set of integers with |A| = k. If |hA| = hk − (h − 1) + O(h)
for infinitely many h, then A is a k-term arithmetic progression.

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 Results on Restricted Sumsets of Integers Definition: Restricted Sumsets

Restricted Sumsets
Let A = {a0 , a1 , . . . , ak−1 } be a non empty finite set of integers such that
a0 < a1 < a2 < · · · < ak−1 . For h ≥ 1,

h ˆA = {b1 + b2 + b3 + · · · + bh | bi ∈ A, bi 6= bj for i 6= j},

set of all sums of h distinct elements of A is called the restricted sumset of

A or the sumset of distinct summands of A.
If h > k, h ˆA = φ, 0ˆA = {0}.

Result:
|h ˆA| = |(k − h)ˆA| for h = 0, 1, 2, . . . , k

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 Results on Restricted Sumsets of Integers Direct and Inverse Theorems

Direct Theorem for the Sumset of Distinct Summands

Let A be a set of k integers and let 1 ≤ h ≤ k. Then,
|h ˆA| ≥ hk − h2 + 1 = h(k − h) + 1.
This lower bound is best possible.

Remark:-
h ˆ(a0 + q ∗ A) = ha0 + q ∗ h ˆA.

So, |h ˆ(a0 + q ∗ A)| = |h ˆA|.

Hence, any interval A of length k attaining the lower bound in the above
theorem implies any k- term arithmetic progression also attains the lower
bound. But not all extremal sets A attaining the lower bound are
arithmetic progressions. Consider the following three examples.

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 Results on Restricted Sumsets of Integers Direct and Inverse Theorems

Example 1:
For any set A of k integers, if h=0 or h = k, then h(k − h) + 1 = 1 and
|0ˆA| = |h ˆA| = 1.
Lower bound is attained but the set under consider is any set of k integers.

Example 2:
For any set A of k integers, say A = {a1 , a2 , a3 , . . . , ak }
If h=1 or h = k − 1, then h(k − h) + 1 = k and
|1ˆA| = |{a1 , a2 , a3 , . . . , ak }| = k and |(k − 1)ˆA| =
|{a1 +a2 +· · ·+ak −1, a1 +a2 +· · ·+ak −2+ak , . . . , a2 +a3 +· · ·+ak }| = k
Lower bound is attained but the set under consider is any set of k integers.

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 Results on Restricted Sumsets of Integers Direct and Inverse Theorems

Example 3:
If h = 2 and k = 4, then h(k − h) + 1 = 5. Let A = {a0 , a1 , a2 , a3 } be a
set of integers such that a0 < a1 < a2 < a3 . Then,
2ˆA = {a0 + a1 , a0 + a2 , a0 + a3 , a1 + a2 , a1 + a3 , a2 + a3 }. ∴ |2ˆA| = 5 or
6. Since a0 + a1 < a0 + a2 < a0 + a3 < a1 + a3 < a2 + a3 and
a0 + a2 < a1 + a2 < a1 + a3 .
∴ |2ˆA| = 5 iff a0 + a3 = a1 + a2 .
Thus, extremal set is A = {a0 , a1 , a2 , a2 + a1 − a0 }, which is not an A.P.

Inverse Theorem for the Sumset of Distinct Summands

Let k ≥ 5 and let 2 ≤ h ≤ (k − 2). If A is a set of k integers such that
|h ˆA| = hk − h2 + 1 = h(k − h) + 1, then A is an arithmetic progression.
NOTE: The above three examples are the only examples when the
extremal set is not an A.P. on attaining the lower bound.

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 Addition in Groups Sumsets of Abelian Groups

Addition in Groups

Sumsets of Abelian Groups:

Let G be an Abelian group. Let A and B be finite subsets of G .
The sumset A + B is defined as-
A + B = {g ∈ G |g = a + b; a ∈ A, b ∈ B}.

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 Addition in Groups Direct Theorems

Direct Problems for addition in group Z/mZ of

Congruence classes modulo m

Theorem (I.Chowla):
Let m ≥ 2 and let A and B be non empty subsets of Z/mZ.
If 0 ∈ B and (b, m) = 1 forall b ∈ B − {0}, then
|A + B| ≥ min(m, |A| + |B| − 1).

Theorem (Cauchy Davenport):

Let p be a prime. Let A and B be non empty subsets of Z/pZ.Then,
|A + B| ≥ min(p, |A| + |B| − 1).

General Form of the Cauchy Davenport Theorem:

Let h ≥ 2.Let p be a prime. Let A1 , A2 , . . . ,P
Ah be h non empty subsets of
Z/pZ.Then, |A1 + A2 + · · · + Ah | ≥ min(p, hi=1 |Ai | − h + 1).

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 Addition in Groups Inverse Theorem

Definition: Critical Pair

The pairs (A,B) of the finite subsets of an Abelian group G such that
(1) A + B 6= G , and
(2) |A + B| < |A| + |B| are called Critical Pairs.

Theorem: Vosper
Let p be a prime number. Let A , B be non empty subsets of the group
G = Z/pZ such that A + B 6= G . Then,
|A + B| = |A| + |B| − 1 if and only if at least one of the following holds:-
(1) min(|A|, |B|) = 1
(2) |A + B| = p − 1 and B = c − ¯ A where {c} = G \(A + B)
(3) A and B are arithmetic progressions with the same common difference.

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 Direct Theorem for Finite Abelian Groups

Definition: Stabilizer
Let S be a non empty subset of an Abelian group G . The stabilizer of S is
the set H(S) = {g ∈ G |g + S = S}
H(S) is the largest subgroup of G such that H(S) + S = S.

Kneser’s Theorem
(Direct Theorem for a finite Abelian Group) If A and B are non empty,
finite subsets of an Abelian group G , then either
|A + B| ≥ |A| + |B| or
|A + B| = |A + H| + |B + H| − |H|,where H = H(A + B) is the stabilzer of
A + B.

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 Biblography

Reference(s):
Melvyn B.Nathanson, Additive Number Theory: Inverse Problems and the
Geometry of Sumsets (Springer,1996)

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 End

THANK YOU

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