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Let $r\geq 2$ and let $A\subseteq \{1,\ldots,N\}$ be a set of maximal size such that there are at most $r$ solutions to $n=a+b$ with $a\leq b$ for any $n$. (That is, $A$ is a $B_2[r]$ set.)

Similarly, let $B\subseteq \{1,\ldots,N\}$ be a set of maximal size such that there are at most $r$ solutions to $n=a-b$ for any $n$.

If $\lvert A\rvert\sim c_rN^{1/2}$ as $N\to \infty$ and $\lvert B\rvert \sim c_r'N^{1/2}$ as $N\to \infty$ then is it true that $c_r\neq c_r'$ for $r\geq 2$? Is it true that $c_r'<c_r$?

According to Erdős, first formulated in conversation with Berend, and later independently reformulated with Freud.

It is true that $c_1=c_1'$, and the classical bound on the size of Sidon sets (see [30]) implies $c_1=c_1'=1$.