  We present a self-contained proof of a formula for the $L^q$ dimensions of
self-similar measures on the real line under exponential separation (up to the
proof of an inverse theorem for the $L^q$ norm of convolutions). This is a
special case of a more general result of the author from [Shmerkin, Pablo. On
Furstenberg's intersection conjecture, self-similar measures, and the $L^q$
norms of convolutions. Ann. of Math., 2019], and one of the goals of this
survey is to present the ideas in a simpler, but important, setting. We also
review some applications of the main result to the study of Bernoulli
convolutions and intersections of self-similar Cantor sets.
