A sum--product theorem in semi-simple commutative Banach algebras (Q1883237)

The following theorem is proved. Let \(A \subset {\mathbb {R}}^k\) be a finite set. We have \(| A+A| + | AA| > c| A| ^{\alpha }\) with some positive \(c\) and \(\alpha >1\); the operations are meant coordinatewise. The case \(k=1\) is due to Erdős and Szemerédi. It is a generally accepted conjecture that (for \(k=1)\) \(\alpha \) can be taken as \(2-\varepsilon \); the best known value is 14/11, due to Solymosi (unpublished). The multidimensional case is different; for instance, if \(A = \{-3, \dots , 3\}^k\), then \(| A| =7^k\), \(| A+A| =| AA| =13^k\), so \(\alpha \) cannot exceed \( \log 13 / \log 7 = 1.318\dots \). No lower estimate is given. A more general result is announced, namely, for finite sets in \({\mathbb {C}}^k\) or, equivalently, in arbitrary semisimple commutative Banach algebras. However, no detailed proof is given; the paper ends with cryptic remarks about the possibility to modify the arguments. Previously even the case of sets in \({\mathbb {C}}\) seemed inaccessible; a proof was found by the author and then a simpler one by Solymosi (unpublished). Solymosi's approach does not seem to easily extend to such a general situation. The reviewer feels that due to the possibility to form direct products, the natural quantity to be estimated would be of the form \(| A+A| ^u | AA| ^v \) (and the author works with similar quantities in a large part of the paper).