Arithmetic progressions in subset sums (Q1193447)

For any set \({\mathcal A}\) of positive integers, denote by \({\mathcal P}({\mathcal A})\) the set of positive integers \(n\) which can be expressed as a sum of distinct elements of \({\mathcal A}\). Let \(u=F(N,t)\) be the greatest integer \(u\) such that for every \({\mathcal A}\subset\{1,2,\dots,N\}\) with \(|{\mathcal A}|=t\), the set \({\mathcal P}({\mathcal A})\) contains \(u\) consecutive multiples of a positive integer \(d\): \(\{(x+1)d,(x+2)d,\dots,(x+u)d\}\subset {\mathcal P}({\mathcal A})\), for some \(x\) and \(d\), and let \(v=G(N,t)\) be the greatest integer \(v\) such that for every \({\mathcal A}\subset\{1,2,\dots,N\}\) with \(|{\mathcal A}|=t\), the set \({\mathcal P}({\mathcal A})\) contains an arithmetic progression of length \(v\). It is clear that \(F(N,t)\leq G(N,t)\) for all \(N,t\). Extending earlier work of Sárközy, the authors prove: \begin{itemize} \item[I.] If \(N\geq N_0\) and \(18(\log N)^2<t\leq N\). Then \(F(N,t)>{1\over 18} {t\over {(\log N)^2}}\). \item[II.] \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] If \(N>N_0\) and \(c\log N<t<{1\over 3}N^{1/3}\), then \(F(N,t)<16 {t\over{\log N}} \log ({t\over{\log N}})\). \item[(ii)] If \(\varepsilon>0\) and \(t_0(\varepsilon)<t<(1- \varepsilon)N^{1/2}\), then \(F(N,t)<(1+\varepsilon)t\). \end{itemize} \item[III.] \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] If \(N>N_0\) and \(\exp(2(\log N)^{1/2})<t<N^{1/2}\), then \[ G(N,t)<t\exp\left(4\max\left({{\log N}\over {\log t}},{{(\log t)^2} \over {\log N}}\right)\right). \] \item[(ii)] For all \(t_0<t<{1\over2}N^{1/2}\), \(G(N,t)<2t^{3/2}\). \end{itemize} \end{itemize} Finally, upper and lower bounds are also obtained for certain other functions associated with 3 term arithmetic progressions.