An addition formula for hyperbolic space (Q797147)

Let har\(m({\mathbb{R}},n,k)\) be the linear space of homogeneous harmonic polynomials of degree k in n variables with real coefficients, provided with some nondegenerate inner product \(<\), \(>\). If x is an element of the unit sphere \(\Omega_ n\) in \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\), then \(\tilde x\in\) har\(m({\mathbb{R}},n,k)\) is defined by \(<\tilde x,f>=f(x)\) for all f \(\in\) har\(m({\mathbb{R}},n,k)\). The so-called addition formula states that \(<\tilde x,\tilde y>=\gamma_ kC_ k^{(n-2)/2}((x,y))\) for \(x,y\in \Omega_ n,\) where \(C_ k(n-2)/2\) denotes the Gegenbauer polynomials of degree k and \(\gamma_ k\) a constant depending on n and k. In this paper the formula is generalized to the indefinite inner product space \({\mathbb{R}}^{1,nk-1}\) with \([x,y]=x,y,-x_ 2y_ 2-...-x_ ny_ n.\) The following combinatorial application is given: If v is the number of points in an s-distance set in \({\mathbb{R}}^{1,n-1}\) then \(v\leq(_{n- 1}^{n-s-1})\).