A reduction for the distinct distances problem in R^d

Abstract: We introduce a reduction from the distinct distances problem in

{m a t h b b R}^{d}

to an incidence problem with

(d - 1)

-flats in

{m a t h b b R}^{2 d - 1}

. Deriving the conjectured bound for this incidence problem (the bound predicted by the polynomial partitioning technique) would lead to a tight bound for the distinct distances problem in

{m a t h b b R}^{d}

. The reduction provides a large amount of information about the

(d - 1)

-flats, and a framework for deriving more restrictions that these satisfy. Our reduction is based on introducing a Lie group that is a double cover of the special Euclidean group. This group can be seen as a variant of the Spin group, and a large part of our analysis involves studying its properties.

Review text

The distinct distances conjecture of \textit{P. Erdős} [Am. Math. Month. 53, 248--250 (1945, Zbl 0060.34805)] asserts that any $n$ points in the plane determine $\Omega(n /\sqrt{\log n})$ distinct distances. He showed that an $\sqrt{n}\times \sqrt{n}$ grid has only $\Omega(n /\sqrt{\log n})$ distinct distances. \textit{L. Guth} and \textit{N. H. Katz} [Ann. Math. (2) 181, No. 1, 155--190 (2015; Zbl 1310.52019)] essentially solved the distinct distances conjecture proving that any $n$ points in the plane determine $\Omega(n /{\log n})$ distinct distances. Their work reduces the distinct distances problem into a point-line incidence problem in $\mathbb{R}^3$, based on a previous work by Elekes and Sharir, and then solves the incidence problem by using polynomial methods. In the cited paper, Erdős observed that for higher dimension $d$, the lattice points in a $n^{1/d}\times n^{1/d} \times \cdots \times n^{1/d} $ section of the integer lattice in $\mathbb{R}^d$ determines $\Omega (n^{2/d})$ distinct distances, and conjectured that this is asymptotically best possible. \textit{J. Solymosi} and \textit{V. H. Vu} [Combinatorica 28, No. 1, 113--125 (2008; Zbl 1174.52009)] provided a lower bound $\Omega (n^{2/d-\frac{2}{d(d+2)}})$ for $d\geq 4$ and $\Omega(n^{0.5643})$ for $d=3$. No further improvement in higher dimension happened after the planar breakthrough of Guth and Katz. The paper under review reduces the distinct distances problem in $\mathbb{R}^d$ for a different incidence problem, for incidences between points and $(d-1)$-flats in $\mathbb{R}^{2d-1}$. The new reduction is based on introducing a Lie group that is a double cover of the special Euclidean group. This group can be seen as a variant of the Spin group. The polynomial partitioning technique suggests a bound for the incidence problem. This conjectured bound, if verified, would lead to a tight bound for the distinct distances problem in $\mathbb{R}^d$.

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