Bounds on three- and higher-distance sets (Q648975)

A finite set \(X\) in a metric space \(M\) is an \(s\)-distance set if the set of distances between any two distinct points of \(X\) has size \(s\). The main problem for \(s\)-distance sets is to determine the maximum cardinality of \(s\)-distance sets for fixed \(s\) and \(M\). In this paper, the authors improve the known upper bound of \(s\)-distance sets in the \(n\)-sphere for \(s=3,4\) using \textit{O. R. Musin} method [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 116, No. 4, 988--995 (2009; Zbl 1166.51300)] with the generalized Larman-Rogers-Seidel theorem and the Nozaki upper bound. In particular, they determine the maximum cardinalities of three-distance sets in \(S^7\) and \(S^{21}\). Moreover, the authors also give the maximum cardinalities of \(s\)-distance sets in the Hamming space and the Johnson space for several \(s\geq 3\) and dimensions.