Diameter of sets and measure of sumsets (Q1180725): Difference between revisions

We define the diameter of a bounded set \(B\) as \(D(B)=\sup B-\inf B\). Let \(A\), \(B\) be bounded sets of reals with \(\underline\mu(A)=a\), \(\underline\mu(B)=b\), \(D(B)=D\) (\(\underline\mu\) denotes inner Lebesgue measure). We establish the inequality \[ \underline\mu(A+B)\geq\min (a+D,(\sqrt a+\sqrt{b/2})^ 2). \] In particular, if \(a\geq D^ 2/(2b)\), then \[ \underline\mu(A+B)\geq a+D.\tag{1} \] This improves the familiar inequality \(\underline\mu(A+B)\geq\underline\mu(A)+\underline\mu(B)\) for \(a\) not too small. A more complicated bound is also given that yields the best possible lower estimate of \(\underline\mu(A+B)\) in terms of \(a\), \(b\) and \(D\), and also gives the exact bound after which (1) holds. If \(A\) is a long interval, then there is equality in (1).