Solution (source code)

= Solution

For a diagonal entry, put $Z_j=\sum_{i=1}^d(A_{ij}^2-1)$. Independence and the given <moment-generating function> inequality for the <chi-squared distribution> give
$$
\mathbb E e^{aZ_j}\leq e^{2da^2}\qquad(|a|<1/4).
$$
The <Chernoff bound> with $a=t/4$ yields
$$
\mathbb P(Z_j\geq dt)\leq e^{-adt+2da^2}=e^{-dt^2/8}.
$$
Apply the same argument to $-Z_j$ and sum the two tails:
$$
\boxed{\mathbb P\left(\left|\frac{(A^TA)_{jj}}d-1\right|\geq t\right)\leq2e^{-dt^2/8}\qquad(0<t<1).}
$$

To obtain the off-diagonal bound, set $U=(V+W)/\sqrt2$ and $D=(V-W)/\sqrt2$. They are jointly normal with unit variances and covariance zero, so <independence of uncorrelated jointly normal variables> makes them independent standard normals. Since $VW=(U^2-D^2)/2$, the <moment-generating function> of the <product of two independent standard normal random variables> is
$$
\boxed{\mathbb E e^{aVW}=(1-a)^{-1/2}(1+a)^{-1/2}=(1-a^2)^{-1/2}\qquad(|a|<1).}
$$
For $j\ne k$, $(A^TA)_{jk}$ is a sum of $d$ independent such products. The given inequality implies $\mathbb E e^{a(A^TA)_{jk}}\leq e^{da^2}$ for $|a|\leq1/2$. Taking $a=t/2$, and repeating for the negative tail, gives
$$
\boxed{\mathbb P\left(\frac{|(A^TA)_{jk}|}d\geq t\right)\leq2e^{-dt^2/4}\qquad(0<t<1).}
$$

Now take $t=c\sqrt{\log p/d}\in(0,1)$ and $E=A^TA/d-I_p$. There are $p$ diagonal entries but only $p(p-1)/2$ distinct off-diagonal entries, since $E$ is symmetric. By the <union bound>, the event $\|E\|_{\max}\leq t$ has probability at least
$$
\begin{aligned}
1-2p e^{-dt^2/8}-p(p-1)e^{-dt^2/4}
&\geq1-2p^{1-c^2/8}-p^{2-c^2/4}.
\end{aligned}
$$
This is the required <entrywise concentration of a Gaussian Gram matrix>.

On that single event, any vector $z$ supported on at most $s$ coordinates satisfies
$$
|z^TEz|\leq t\sum_{j,k}|z_jz_k|=t\|z\|_1^2\leq st\|z\|_2^2,
$$
where the last step is the <Cauchy-Schwarz inequality> on the support. If $u,v$ each have at most $s/2$ nonzero coordinates, $z=u-v$ has at most $s$. The same entrywise event applies simultaneously to all of them, so no union over vectors is needed. The <sparse norm preservation from entrywise Gram control> gives
$$
\boxed{\left|\frac{\|A(u-v)\|_2^2}{d\|u-v\|_2^2}-1\right|\leq sc\sqrt{\frac{\log p}{d}}\qquad(u\ne v).}
$$
The printed ratio is undefined at $u=v$. Its equivalent quadratic statement, $|\|A(u-v)\|_2^2/d-\|u-v\|_2^2|\leq st\|u-v\|_2^2$, includes that case trivially. The nontrivial concentration argument assumes $p\geq2,c>0$; at $p=1$ the stated probability lower bound is nonpositive and hence vacuous.