An asymmetric bound for sum of distance sets (Q2234373)

For \(E \subset \mathbb{F}_q^d\), let \(\Delta(E)\) denote the distance set determined by pairs of points in \(E\). By using additive energies of sets on a paraboloid, \textit{D. Koh} et al. [Math. Z. 297, No. 3--4, 1749--1765 (2021; Zbl 1469.52014)] proved that if \(E,F \subset \mathbb{F}_q^d\) are subsets with \(|E|\cdot |F| \gg q^{d+1/3}\), then \(|\Delta(E) + \Delta(F)| > q/2\). It was also proved that the threshold \(q^{d+1/3}\) is sharp when \(|E|=|F|\). In this paper, the three authors provided an improvement of this result in the unbalanced case, which is essentially sharp in odd dimensions. The most important tool in their proofs is an optimal \(L^2\) restriction theorem for the sphere of zero radius.