Random constructions for translates of non-negative functions

TL;DR

This paper investigates the classification of discrete sets of nonnegative real numbers based on the zero-one law for series of translated functions, providing a random construction to characterize these sets and exploring effects of element deletion.

Contribution

It introduces a random construction method to demonstrate that witness functions can be characteristic functions of measurable sets, answering a question about the nature of such functions.

Findings

A random construction shows witness functions can be characteristic functions of measurable sets.

The paper classifies sets into type 1 or type 2 based on the zero-one law behavior.

Results on the impact of randomly deleting elements from the set on its classification.

Abstract

Suppose $\Lambda$ is a discrete infinite set of nonnegative real numbers. We say that $ {\Lambda}$ is type $2$ if the series $s(x)=\sum_{\lambda\in\Lambda}f(x+\lambda)$ does not satisfy a zero-one law. This means that we can find a non-negative measurable "witness function" $f: {\mathbb R}\to [0,+ {\infty})$ such that both the convergence set $C(f, {\Lambda})=\{x: s(x)<+ {\infty} \}$ and its complement the divergence set $D(f, {\Lambda})=\{x: s(x)=+ {\infty} \}$ are of positive Lebesgue measure. If $ {\Lambda}$ is not type $2$ we say that $ {\Lambda}$ is type $1$. The main result of our paper answers a question raised by Z. Buczolich, J-P. Kahane, and D. Mauldin. By a random construction we show that one can always choose a witness function which is the characteristic function of a measurable set. We also consider the effect on the type of a set $ {\Lambda}$ if we randomly delete its elements. Motivated by results concerning weighted sums $\sum c_n f(nx)$ and the Khinchin conjecture, we also discuss some results about weighted sums $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}c_n f(x+\lambda_n)$.