Generalized incidence theorems, homogeneous forms, and sum-product estimates in finite fields

TL;DR

This paper establishes new incidence theorems and sum-product estimates in finite fields, demonstrating sharp bounds on the distribution of volumes determined by subsets of vector spaces, with implications for combinatorial geometry.

Contribution

It proves a function version of incidence results and derives sharp bounds on volume distributions for subsets of finite field vector spaces, extending previous geometric and combinatorial results.

Findings

Volumes of parallelepipeds cover entire finite field for large product sets in high dimensions.

In three dimensions, volume sets cover a positive proportion of the field under size conditions.

Results are sharp, demonstrated by specific subset constructions.

Abstract

In recent years, sum-product estimates in Euclidean space and finite fields have been studied using a variety of combinatorial, number theoretic and analytic methods. Erdos type problems involving the distribution of distances, areas and volumes have also received much attention. In this paper we prove a relatively straightforward function version of an incidence results for points and planes previously established in \cite{HI07} and \cite{HIKR07}. As a consequence of our methods, we obtain sharp or near sharp results on the distribution of volumes determined by subsets of vector spaces over finite fields and the associated arithmetic expressions. In particular, our machinery enables us to prove that if $E \subset {\Bbb F}_q^d$, $d \ge 4$, the $d$-dimensional vector space over a finite field ${\Bbb F}_q$, of size much greater than $q^{\frac{d}{2}}$, and if $E$ is a product set, then the set of volumes of $d$-dimensional parallelepipeds determined by $E$ covers ${\Bbb F}_q$. This result is sharp as can be seen by taking $E$ to equal to $A \times A \times ... \times A$, where $A$ is a sub-field of ${\Bbb F}_q$ of size $\sqrt{q}$. In three dimensions we establish the same result if $|E| \gtrsim q^{{15/8}}$. We prove in three dimensions that the set of volumes covers a positive proportion of ${\Bbb F}_q$ if $|E| \ge Cq^{{3/2}}$. Finally we show that in three dimensions the set of volumes covers a positive proportion of ${\Bbb F}_q$ if $|E| \ge Cq^2$, without any further assumptions on $E$, which is again sharp as taking $E$ to be a 2-plane through the origin shows.