Bohr neighborhoods in generalized difference sets (Q2121771)

A basic Bohr neighbourhood (of rank \(d\) and radius \(\varepsilon\)) defined by a finite set of characters \(\{\chi_1,\dots,\chi_d\}\) and an \(\varepsilon>0\) in a locally compact abelian topological group is the set \(\{g\in G\mid\vert\chi_i(g)-1\vert<\varepsilon\text{ for }i=1,\dots,d\}\), and a Bohr neighbourhood of \(0\) is any set containing a basic Bohr neighbourhood. \textit{N. Bogoliouboff} [Ann. Chaire Phys. Math., Kiev 4, 195--205 (1939; Zbl 0022.33201)] showed that if a countable group \(G\) is decomposed as \(G=C_1\cup\cdots\cup C_r\), then for at least one choice of \(i\) the set \((C_i-C_i)-(C_i-C_i)\) contains a basic Bohr neighbourhood, and that the rank and radius of it depends only on \(r\). \textit{E. Følner} [Math. Scand. 2, 224--226 (1954; Zbl 0058.02302)] strengthened the hypothesis of a finite colouring of \(G\) to show that any set of positive upper Banach density in \(G\) has the same property. This result was extended by \textit{V. Bergelson} and \textit{I. Z. Ruzsa} [Isr. J. Math. 174, 1--18 (2009; Zbl 1250.11009)] to show that if \(r,s,t\) are non-zero integers with \(r+s+t=0\) and \(A\subset\mathbb{Z}\) has positive upper Banach density, then \(rA+sA+tA\) contains a basic Bohr neighbourhood of \(0\), whose rank and radius depend only on the parameters \(r,s,t\) and the density of \(A\). The main result here is a generalization of this result to any countable abelian group and to more summands, at the expense of losing the bounds on the rank and radius of the Bohr neighbourhood. The hypotheses used are shown in most but not all cases to be necessary for the conclusion reached. The approach is to exploit the connection between combinatorial questions of this sort and recurrence phenomena in ergodic theory.