A counterexample for maximal operators over a Cantor set of directions (Q1815695)

Let \(\mathcal R_N\) be the set of rectangles in \(\mathbb R^2\) having length 1 and width \(1/N\). Let \(\Sigma \subset [0, 1]\) and define \(\mathcal R_N^\Sigma\) be those elements of \(\mathcal R_N\) having slope in \(\Sigma\), and \((\mathcal M_N^\Sigma f)(x)=\sup_{x\in \mathcal R\in \mathcal R_N^\Sigma}|\mathcal R|^{-1} \int_{\mathcal R}|f|\). Let \(N=3^n\) for some integer \(n\), and \(\Sigma\) be the truncated Cantor set, i.e., \(\Sigma\) consists of all numbers of the form \(0, 1\) or \(\sum_{j=1}^n a_j3^{-j}\) where \(a_j\) is 0 or 2. The author gives the following: For \(\Sigma\) as above and \(S\in \mathcal R_N \) parallel to the \(y\)-axis, there exist \(f\in L^2\) and \(c>0\) such that \(|\chi_S \mathcal M_N^\Sigma f|_{L^2}\geq c\sqrt{\log N}/\sqrt N |f|_{L^2}\). The author also shows that there exist an \(f\in L^2\) and \(c>0\) such that \(|\mathcal M_N^\Sigma f|_{L^2}\geq c\sqrt{\log \log N} |f|_{L^2}\). These are related to the positive results. If \(\Sigma\) is a lacunary set, one has \(|\mathcal M_N^\Sigma f|_{L^2}\leq c |f|_{L^2}\) [\textit{A. Nagel, E. M. Stein} and \textit{S. Wainger}, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 75, 1060-1062 (1978; Zbl 0391.42015)]. For Cantor sets, the same is conjectured [\textit{A. M. Vargas}, Rend. Circ. Mat. Palermo, II. Ser. 44, No. 2, 273-282 (1995; Zbl 0832.42011)].