The second and the third smallest distances on the sphere (Q1207026)

Let \(S^ 2\) be the 2-dimensional unit sphere in \(\mathbb{R}^ 3\), and for \(P\subseteq S^ 2\), \(| P|<\infty\) let \(s_ k(P)\) be the \(k\)-th smallest spherical distance overdetermined by all pairs of points \(x\), \(y\in P\), \(x\neq y\). Furthermore, let \(s_ k(n):= \sup\{s_ k(P)\): \(| P|=n\), \(P\subseteq S^ 2\}\). The author proves that a conjecture of \textit{A. Bezdek} and \textit{K. Bezdek} [Geom. Dedicata 29, No. 2, 141-152 (1989; Zbl 0675.52004)] is true: For sufficiently large \(n\) the equation \(s_ 2(n)=s_ 1([n/3])\) is true. Further results of the paper are \(s_ 3(n)= s_ 1([n/5])\), \(s_ k(n)\leq s_ 1 ([n/(6f(k- 1))])\) for \(n\geq n_ 0\) where \(n_ 0\) is a suitable integer and where \(f(k)\) denotes the largest integer \(f\) such that for all \(\varepsilon>0\) there exists a \(k\)-distance set in \(S^ 2\) of size \(f\) and of diameter less than \(\varepsilon\).