On the Hausdorff dimension of microsets

Abstract: We investigate how the Hausdorff dimensions of microsets are related to the dimensions of the original set. It is known that the maximal dimension of a microset is the Assouad dimension of the set. We prove that the lower dimension can analogously be obtained as the minimal dimension of a microset. In particular, the maximum and minimum exist. We also show that for an arbitrary $\mathcal{F}_\sigma$ set $\Delta \subseteq [0,d]$ containing its infimum and supremum there is a compact set in $[0,1]^d$ for which the set of Hausdorff dimensions attained by its microsets is exactly equal to the set $\Delta$. Our work is motivated by the general programme of determining what geometric information about a set can be determined at the level of tangents.