Planar sets whose complements do not contain a dense set of lines (Q1090788)

Let A and B be measurable sets in \({\mathbb{R}}\) with positive measure. The well known theorem of Steinhaus states that the set \(A-B=\{x-y:x\in A,y\in B\}\) contains a non void interval. \textit{J. Ceder} and \textit{D. K. Ganguly} [Real Anal. Exch. 9, 206-214 (1984; Zbl 0566.28001)] provide a new way of interpreting Steinhaus' theorem by means of ''projections'' of the set \(A\times B;\) among other things they prove that there exists a residual set in the plane, no ''projection'' of which contains a non empty interval. We prove the projection (measure projection) of a compact set in the plane to be compact (resp. an \(F_{\sigma}\) set) in \({\mathbb{R}}\), and we employ the classical proof of Steinhaus' theorem using convolutions to observe that the measure projection of \(E=A\times B\) (as above) is open in the projection of E whenever E has positive measure. The analogous statement is false in case A and B have only the property of Baire. However, if both A and B are assumed in addition to be of the second category, the ''category'' projection of E does have a non empty interior; this follows from the methods used on p. 21 of ''Measure and category'' (1971; Zbl 0217.09202; 2nd ed. 1980; Zbl 0435.28011) by \textit{J. C. Oxtoby}. (See Real Anal. Exch. 11(1985-86) for two examples of a planar set E such that the ''projections'' fail to have an interior, but E is of second category).