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This thesis focuses on the use of extremal techniques in analyzing problems that historically have been associated with other areas of discrete mathematics. We establish new techniques for analyzing combinatorial problems with two different types of nonlinear orders, and then use them to solve important previously-open problems in mathematics. In addition, we use entropy techniques to establish a variety of bounds in the theory of sumsets. In the second chapter, we examine a problem of Furedi and Hajnal regarding forbidden patterns in (0,1)-matrices. We introduce a new technique that gives an asymptotically tight bound on the number of 1-entries that a (0,1)-matrix can contain while avoiding a fixed permutation matrix. We use this result to solve the Stanley-Wilf conjecture, a well-studied open problem in enumerative combinatorics. We then generalize the technique to give results on d-dimensional matrices. In the third chapter, we examine a problem of Pinchasi and Radoicic on cyclically order sets. To do so, we prove an upper bound on the sizes of such sets, given that their orders have the intersection reverse property. We then use this to give an upper bound on the number of edges that a graph can have, assuming that the graph can be drawn so that no cycle of length four has intersecting edges. This improves the previously best known bound and (up to a log-factor) matches the best known lower bound. This result implies improved bounds on a number of well-studied problems in geometric combinatorics, most notably the complexity of pseudo-circle arrangements. In the final chapter, we use entropy techniques to establish new bounds in the theory of sumsets. We show that such sets behave fractionally submultiplicatively, which in turn provides new Plunecke-type inequalities of the form first introduced by Gyarmati, Matolcsi, and Ruzsa.

Réalisé en cotutelle avec l'Université Paris-Diderot. / Nous présentons trois résultats en combinatoire additive, un domaine récent à la croisée de la combinatoire, l'analyse harmonique et la théorie analytique des nombres. Le thème unificateur de notre thèse est la détection de structures additives dans les ensembles arithmétiques à faible densité, avec un intérêt particulier pour les aspects quantitatifs. Notre première contribution est une estimation de densité améliorée pour le problème, initié entre autres par Bourgain, de trouver une longue progression arithmétique dans un ensemble somme triple. Notre deuxième résultat consiste en une généralisation des bornes de Sanders pour le théorème de Roth, du cas d'un ensemble dense dans les entiers à celui d'un ensemble à faible croissance additive dans un groupe abélien arbitraire. Finalement, nous étendons les meilleures bornes quantitatives connues pour le théorème de Roth dans les premiers, à tous les systèmes d'équations linéaires invariants par translation et de complexité un. / We present three results in additive combinatorics, a recent field at the interface of combinatorics, harmonic analysis and analytic number theory. The unifying theme in our thesis is the detection of additive structure in arithmetic sets of low density, with an emphasis on quantitative aspects. Our first contribution is an improved density estimate for the problem, initiated by Bourgain and others, of finding a long arithmetic progression in a triple sumset. Our second result is a generalization of Sanders' bounds for Roth's theorem from the dense setting, to the setting of small doubling in an arbitrary abelian group. Finally, we extend the best known quantitative results for Roth's theorem in the primes, to all translation-invariant systems of equations of complexity one.

This thesis is divided into two parts. Part I is about additive combinatorics. Part II deals with questions in elementary number theory. In Chapter 1, we generalize the Davenport transform to prove that if si S\mathbb A=(A, +)S is acancellative semigroup (either abelian or not) and SX, YS are non-empty subsets of SAS such that the subsemigroup generated by SYS is abelian, then SS|X+Y|\gc\min(\gamma(Y, |X|+|Y|-I)SS, where for SZ\subsetcq AS we let S\gamma(Z):=\sup_{z_0\in Z^\times}\in f_(z_0\nc z\inZ) (vm ord)(z-z_0)S. This implies an extension of Chowla's and Pillai's theorems for cyclic groups and a stronger version of an addition theorem by Hamidoune and Karolyi for arbitrary groups. In Chapter 2, we show that if S(A, +) is a cancellative semigroup and SX, Y\subsetcq AS then SS|X+Y|\gc\min(\gammaX+Y), |X|+|Y|-I)SS. This gives a generalization of Kemperman's inequality for torsion free groups and a stronger version of the Hamidoune-Karolyi theorem. In Chapter 3, we generalize results by Freiman et al. by proving that if S(A,\ctlot)S is a linearly orderable semigroup and SSS is a finite subset of SAS generating a non-abelian subsemigroup, then S|S^2-\gc3|S|-2S. In Chapter 4, we prove results related to conjecture by Gyory and Smyth on the sets SR_k^\pm(a,b)S of all positive integers SnS such that Sn^kS divides Sa^a \pmb^nS for fixed integers SaS, SbS and SkS with Sk\gc3S, S|ab|\gc2Set S\gcd(a,b) = 1S. In particular, we show that SR_k^pm(a,b)S is finite if Sk\gc\max(|a|.|b|)S. In Chapter 5, we consider a question on primes and divisibility somchow related to Znam's problem and the Agoh-Giuga conjecture

Cette thèse est divisée en deux parties : la partie I traite de combinatoire additive, la partie II s’est portée sur des questions de théorie élémentaire des nombres. Dans le chapitre 1, on généralise la transformée de Davenport pour prouver que si S\mathbb A=(A, +)S est un demi-groupe cancellatif (éventuellement non commutatif) et SX, YS sont des sous-ensembles non vides de SAS tels que le sous semi groupe engendré par SYS est commutatif, on a SS|X+Y|\gc\min(\gamma(Y, |X|+|Y|-I)SS, où S\gamma(\ctlot)S dénote la constante de Cauchy-Davenport d’un ensemble. On en obtient une extension des théorèmes de Chowla et Pillai pour les groupes cycliques et une version plus forte d’un théorème additif de Karolyi et Hamidoune. Dans le chapitre 2, on montre que si S(A,+)S est un semi-groupe cancellatif et si SX, Y\subsetcq AS alors SS|X+Y|\gc\min(\gammaX+Y), |X|+|Y|-I)SS. Cela donne une généralisation de l’inégalité de Kemperman pour les groupes sans torsion et une version plus forte du théorème d’Hamidoune-Karolyi. Dans le chapitre 3, on généralise des résultats par Freiman et al., en prouvant que si S(A,\ctlot)S est un semi-groupe linéairement ordonnable et SSS est un sous-ensemble fini de SAS engendrant un sous-semi-groupe non-abélien, alors S|S^2-\gc3|S|-2S. Dans le chapitre 4, on prouve des résultats liés à une conjecture par Gyorgy et Smyth sur la finitude des entiers Sn\gc1S tels que Sn^kS divise Sa^a \pmb^nS pour des entiers fixés SaS, SbS et SkS avec Sk\gc3S, S|ab|\gc2Set S\gcd(a,b) = 1S. Enfin, dans le chapitre 5, on considère une question de divisibilité dans les entiers, en quelque sorte liée au problème de Znam et à la conjecture d’Agoh-Giuga / This thesis is divided into two parts. Part I is about additive combinatorics. Part II deals with questions in elementary number theory. In Chapter 1, we generalize the Davenport transform to prove that if si S\mathbb A=(A, +)S is acancellative semigroup (either abelian or not) and SX, YS are non-empty subsets of SAS such that the subsemigroup generated by SYS is abelian, then SS|X+Y|\gc\min(\gamma(Y, |X|+|Y|-I)SS, where for SZ\subsetcq AS we let S\gamma(Z):=\sup_{z_0\in Z^\times}\in f_(z_0\nc z\inZ) (vm ord)(z-z_0)S. This implies an extension of Chowla’s and Pillai’s theorems for cyclic groups and a stronger version of an addition theorem by Hamidoune and Karolyi for arbitrary groups. In Chapter 2, we show that if S(A, +) is a cancellative semigroup and SX, Y\subsetcq AS then SS|X+Y|\gc\min(\gammaX+Y), |X|+|Y|-I)SS. This gives a generalization of Kemperman’s inequality for torsion free groups and a stronger version of the Hamidoune-Karolyi theorem. In Chapter 3, we generalize results by Freiman et al. by proving that if S(A,\ctlot)S is a linearly orderable semigroup and SSS is a finite subset of SAS generating a non-abelian subsemigroup, then S|S^2-\gc3|S|-2S. In Chapter 4, we prove results related to conjecture by Gyory and Smyth on the sets SR_k^\pm(a,b)S of all positive integers SnS such that Sn^kS divides Sa^a \pmb^nS for fixed integers SaS, SbS and SkS with Sk\gc3S, S|ab|\gc2Set S\gcd(a,b) = 1S. In particular, we show that SR_k^pm(a,b)S is finite if Sk\gc\max(|a|.|b|)S. In Chapter 5, we consider a question on primes and divisibility somchow related to Znam’s problem and the Agoh-Giuga conjecture