Kakeya-type sets in finite vector spaces (Q644691): Difference between revisions

Given a finite vector space \(V\) and a nonnegative integer \(r\leq \dim V\), one says that a subset \(K\subset V\) is a Kakeya set of rank \(r\) if it contains a translate of every \(r\)-dimensional subspace of \(V\). The authors estimate the smallest possible size of such a set as a function of the rank \(r\), the dimension \(\dim V\), and the size \(q\) of the underlying field. One of their lower bound is: If \(n\geq r\geq1\) are integers, \(q\) a prime power, \(\mathbb F_q\) a finite field of order \(q\), and \(K\subset \mathbb F_q^n\) a Kakeya set of rank \(r\), then \(|K|\geq (1+(q-1)q^{-r})^{-n}q^{n}\), which is an improvement of a known estimate by \textit{J. S. Ellenberg}, \textit{R. Oberlin} and \textit{T. Tao} [Mathematika 56, No. 1, 1--25 (2010; Zbl 1189.42010)]. Several related estimates from below and above are given.