Improved bounds for the dimensions of planar distance sets (Q2031472)

Summary: We obtain new lower bounds on the Hausdorff dimension of distance sets and pinned distance sets of planar Borel sets of dimension slightly larger than 1, improving recent estimates of \textit{T. Keleti} and the author [Geom. Funct. Anal. 29, No. 6, 1886--1948 (2019; Zbl 1428.28005)], and of \textit{B. Liu} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 148, No. 1, 333--341 (2020; Zbl 1444.28002)] in this regime. In particular, we prove that if \(\dim_H(A) > 1\), then the set of distances spanned by points of \(A\) has Hausdorff dimension at least \(40/57 > 0.7\) and there are many \(y\in A\) such that the pinned distance set \(\{|x-y|:x\in A\}\) has Hausdorff dimension at least \(29/42\) and lower box-counting dimension at least \(40/57\). We use the approach and many results from the earlier work of Keleti and Shmerkin, but incorporate estimates from the recent work of \textit{L. Guth} et al. [Invent. Math. 219, No. 3, 779--830 (2020; Zbl 1430.28001)] as additional input.