On recurrence in positive characteristic (Q2017791)

Let \({\mathbb F}_q\) be the field of \(q\) elements, \(A={\mathbb F}_q[t]\) the ring of polynomials over \(t\) and \(k={\mathbb F}_q(t)\) the field of rational functions. For any \(\alpha\in k\), let \(|\alpha|:= q^{\deg \alpha}\) denote the infinite absolute value of \(\alpha\). Let \({\mathbb F}_q((1/t))\) be the completion of \(k\) at infinite. For \(m,n\in{\mathbb N}\), define the \textit{interval} \(I(n,m)\) by \(\{g\in A\mid n<\deg g\leq m\}\). We have \(|I(n,m)|=q^{m+1}-q^{n+1}\). For any sequence \(I=(I_n)_{n\geq 0}\) of such intervals with \(\lim_{n\to \infty}|I_n|=\infty\), set \(b(E, I)= \limsup_{n\to\infty} \frac{|E\cap I_n|}{|I_n|}\) for a subset \(E\subseteq A\). The \textit{Banach density} of \(E\) is defined by \(b(E)=\sup_I b(E,I)\) with \(I=(I_n)_{n\geq 0}\) as before. Finally, \(G\subseteq A\) is called \textit{intersective} if given any \(S\subseteq A\) with \(b(S)>0\), there exist \(x,y\in S\) such that \(x-y\in G\). The aim of this paper is to prove that if \(P\) denotes the set of all monic irreducible polynomials in \(A\), then \(P-1:=\{p-1\mid p\in P\}\) is intersective. This result is the analogue in positive characteristic of the classical theorem of \textit{A. Sarközy} [Ann. Univ. Sci. Budap. Rolando Eötvös, Sect. Math. 21, 45--53 (1978; Zbl 0413.10051)] that establishes that any subset of \( {\mathbb N}\) of positive density contains a pair of elements whose difference belongs to \(P-1\). The authors use an ergodic approach to prove their main result.