Additively stable sets, critical sets for the \(3k-4\) theorem in \(\mathbb{Z}\) and \(\mathbb{R}\) (Q6994616)

A bounded set \(X\) of integers or real numbers is called additively left-stable if the infimum of \(X\) is \(0\) and the intersection of the sumset \(X + X\) with the interval \([0,\sup X]\) equals \(X\).\N\NThe authors define the continuous, piecewise affine function \(h(x)\) on \([0,1]\) by \(h(0) = 0\), and for \(k \ge 2\), \N\[\Nh(x) = \frac{1}{k+1}\left(2x - \frac{1}{k}\right)\N\]\Nif \(\frac{1}{k} < x \le \frac{1}{k-1}\). The authors describe the additively left-stable, bounded sets \(A\) of real numbers. Specifically, they prove that if \(d = \mathrm{diam}(A)\) and \(\lambda(A) = \frac{d}{2} > 0\), where \(\lambda\) is the inner Lebesgue measure, then for all \(0 \le x \le d\), \N\[\N\lambda(A\cap [0,x]) \le dh(x/d).\N\]\NFurthermore, they show that for any additively left-stable bounded set of real numbers \(A\) contained in the interval \([0,d]\) of diameter \(d\) with \(\lambda(A) = \frac{d}{2}\), there exist at most one \(x\in (0, d/2)\) such that \(\lambda(A\cap [0,x]) = dh(x/d)\). Moreover, for every \(x\in (0, d/2)\), they construct a unique additively left-stable closed set \(A\) of diameter \(d\) such that \(\lambda(A) = \frac{d}{2}\) and \(\lambda(A\cap [0,x]) = dh(x/d)\). They also extend these results to finite nonempty subsets of integers.