Further properties of an extremal set of uniqueness (Q4399331)

A compact subset \(E\) of \(T\) is called an \(H\)-set if there exists a nonempty open interval \(I\) in \(T\) such that there is an infinite number of integers \(n\in \mathbb Z\) for which \(nE\cap I=\emptyset\). It is called a Dirichlet set if this latter property is fulfilled for every open interval \(I\) (\(\not=T\)). \(H\)-sets are sets of uniqueness. In a previous paper [Colloq. Math. 65, 61-64 (1993; Zbl 0838.43006)], the authors constructed a compact set \(S\) of rationals in \(T\), hence a set of uniqueness, which cannot be written as the union of two \(H\)-sets and conjectured that it actually cannot be the union of finitely many \(H\)-sets. In the paper under review, the authors use a result of \textit{S. Kahane} [Colloq. Math. 65, 83-86 (1993; Zbl 0865.43007)] from descriptive set theory saying that if a compact subset of \(T\) is the union of \(n\) elements of a hereditary family \({\mathcal B}\) of compact subsets of \(T\), then its \({\mathcal B}\)-rank is at most \(n\). The \({\mathcal B}\)-rank is an integer obtained by a suitable derivation. The authors show that their set \(S\) cannot be the union of finitely many Dirichlet sets by proving that the Dirichlet rank of \(S\) is infinite. For that, they show in particular that for every \(y\in[0,1\mathop{[}\cap \mathbb Q\) and \(N\in{\mathbb N}\) the set \(\{y\}\cup\{y+2^{-m}\); \(m\geq N\}\) is not a Dirichlet set. They finish their paper by pointing out that the answer to their question cannot be easily given since they show that, though a compact set can be written as the union of finitely many elements of a hereditary family \({\mathcal B}\) of compact subsets of \(T\) whenever its \({\mathcal B}\)-rank is 1, the \(H\)-rank of \(S\) is actually equal to 2.