Sharp lower-bound conjecture for odd-order planar Besicovitch sets

From papers

Let qq be odd, and write (m,b)\ell(m,b) and (,a)\ell(\infty,a) for the lines y=mx+by=mx+b and x=ax=a in Fq2\mathbb{F}_q^2. A Besicovitch set is a set BFq2B\subset\mathbb{F}_q^2 containing one line in every direction. For PBP\in B, let mPm_P be the number of selected lines passing through PP. Sharp lower-bound conjecture. Every Besicovitch set satisfies

PB(mP1)(mP2)2q12,\sum_{P\in B}\frac{(m_P-1)(m_P-2)}{2}\geq\frac{q-1}{2},

and hence

#Bq(q+1)2+q12.\#B\geq\frac{q(q+1)}{2}+\frac{q-1}{2}.

The bound is motivated by the explicit example discussed in the paper, while the unconditional theorem only proves the weaker estimate q/3q/3 (with a later refinement to (5q1)/14(5q-1)/14), so the conjecture remains open in the source.

Progress summary

Nothing recorded yet. Refresh searches the literature and the public web for attempts on this problem, and writes the first summary here.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

X. W. C. Faber, “On the Finite Field Kakeya Problem in Two Dimensions”, arXiv:math/0510356 (2006).

Solutions 0

No solutions have been posted yet.