Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2001/iii/paper-76/3/i/solution

The sumset form of Plünnecke's inequality states: for nonempty finite sets in an abelian group, if , there is a nonempty such that
Here . The same can be used for every . This sumset statement follows from an elementary minimal-growth argument.
Choose minimizing among nonempty subsets of . Then and for every , including the empty set. We prove the Petridis minimal-growth lemma
for each finite set . Enumerate . Put and define
The disjoint new contributions to have sizes , so . For , the point was already present in , hence . Consequently the new contribution at stage to has size at most
Summing proves the lemma. Starting with and then taking gives inductively , proving the stated Plünnecke inequality.

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