An upper bound for the size of \(s\)-distance sets in real algebraic sets (Q2048560)

Summary: In a recent paper, \textit{F. Petrov} and \textit{C. Pohoata} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 149, No. 2, 569--571 (2021; Zbl 1455.05077)] developed a new algebraic method which combines the Croot-Lev-Pach Lemma from additive combinatorics and Sylvester's Law of Inertia for real quadratic forms. As an application, they gave a simple proof of the Bannai-Bannai-Stanton bound on the size of \(s\)-distance sets (subsets \(\mathcal{A}\subseteq \mathbb{R}^n\) which determine at most \(s\) different distances). In this paper we extend their work and prove upper bounds for the size of \(s\)-distance sets in various real algebraic sets. This way we obtain a novel and short proof for the bound of Delsarte-Goethals-Seidel on spherical \(s\)-distance sets and a generalization of a bound by Bannai-Kawasaki-Nitamizu-Sato on \(s\)-distance sets on unions of spheres. In our arguments we use the method of Petrov and Pohoata together with some Gröbner basis techniques.