Questions tagged [metric-spaces]

A metric space is a pair $(X,d)$, where $X$ is a set and $d:X \times X \to \mathbb{R}$ satisfies the following conditions for all $x,y,z \in X$. (Symmetry) $d(x,y)=d(y,x)$. (Identity of Indiscernibles) $d(x,y)=0$ if and only if $x=y$. (Triangle Inequality) $d(x,y)+d(y,z) \geq d(x,z)$.

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Optimal transport: the existence of an optimal pair of $c$-conjugate functions

$\newcommand{\diff}{ \, \mathrm d}$ Let $X,Y$ be Polish spaces, $\mathcal C_b(X)$ the space of all real-valued bounded continuous functions on $X$, $\mathcal P(X)$ the space of Borel probability ...
Akira's user avatar
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35 votes
6 answers
2k views

Trigonometry / Euclidean Geometry for natural numbers?

Let $d(a,b) = 1 - \frac{2\gcd(a,b)^3}{ab(a+b)}$ be a metric on natural numbers without $0$. The metric space $X = \{x_0,x_1,\cdots,x_n\},n>2$ is isometric embeddable in $\mathbb{R}^n$ if and only ...
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24 votes
8 answers
4k views

When does a metric space have "infinite metric dimension"? (Definition of metric dimension)

Definition 1 A subset $B$ of a metric space $(M,d)$ is called a metric basis for $M$ if and only if $$[\forall b \in B,\,d(x,b)=d(y,b)] \implies x = y \,.$$ Definition 2 A metric space $(M,d)$ has &...
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20 votes
2 answers
1k views

If all balls at $x$ and $y$ are isometric is there an isometry sending $x$ to $y$?

Let $(X,d)$ be a metric space and $x,y \in X$. Assume that for all $r > 0$ the balls $B_r(x)$ and $B_r(y)$ are isometric. Is it true that there exists an isometry of $X$ sending $x$ to $y$?
Wolfgang Spindeler's user avatar
18 votes
3 answers
7k views

Quotient of metric spaces

Let $(X,d)$ be a compact metric space and $\sim$ an equivalence relation on $X$ such that the quotient space $X/\sim$ is Hausdorff. It is well known that in this case the quotient is metrizable. My ...
burtonpeterj's user avatar
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13 votes
0 answers
635 views

Covering number estimates for Hölder balls

Let $\alpha \in (0,1]$, $r>0$ and $L>0$, and positive intwgers $n$ and $m$. The Arzela-Ascoli Theorem guarantees that the set $X(\alpha,L,r)$ of $f:[-1,1]^n\rightarrow [-r,r]^m$ with $\alpha$-...
ABIM's user avatar
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12 votes
1 answer
562 views

Is $\ell_p$ $(1<p<\infty)$ finitely isometrically distortable?

Let $Y$ be a Banach space isomorphic to $\ell_p$, $1<p<\infty$. Is it true that any finite subset of $\ell_p$ is isometric to some finite subset of $Y$? It seems to me that it is an interesting ...
Mikhail Ostrovskii's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

Differentiability of distance to a closed convex set [closed]

Let $( \mathbb{R}^d, \| \mathbf{x}\|_2 )$ be a Euclidean Space. For any nonempty closed convex set $A\subseteq \mathbb{R}^d$, we define \begin{align} d(\mathbf{x}, A) = \inf \{ \| \mathbf{x} - \mathbf{...
Steve's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
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Hausdorff distance and Cauchy sequences

This is a generalization of an older question. Let $(X,d)$ be a metric space and let $(A_n)_{n\in\mathbb{N}}\subseteq X$ be a sequence of non-empty closed subsets such that for all $\varepsilon > ...
Dominic van der Zypen's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
272 views

Does there always exists a path $g:[0,1] \rightarrow X$ from $f(0)$ to $f(1)$ that has the same image as $f$ and …?

Suppose $(X,d)$ is a metric space and $f:[0,1] \rightarrow X$ is a path in $X$ with non-zero finite length $L$. Then, does there always exist a path $g:[0,1] \rightarrow X$ from $f(0)$ to $f(1)$ that ...
MathMan's user avatar
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24 votes
4 answers
2k views

A reinterpretation of the $abc$ - conjecture in terms of metric spaces?

I hope it is appropriate to ask this question here: One formulation of the abc-conjecture is $$ c < \text{rad}(abc)^2$$ where $\gcd(a,b)=1$ and $c=a+b$. This is equivalent to ($a,b$ being ...
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16 votes
1 answer
588 views

If all balls around two points are isometric... -- manifold version

This question is a natural follow-up of this other question, asked earlier today by wspin. Let's say that a metric space $(X,d)$ has two poles if: there are two distinct points $x$, $y$ such that ...
Marco Golla's user avatar
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16 votes
5 answers
875 views

Which metric spaces have this superposition property?

Let $A \subset X$ and $B \subset X$ be two isometric subsets of a metric space $X$. So there is an isometry $f: A \to B$. Say that a metric space $X$ has the superposition property (my terminology) ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
15 votes
2 answers
2k views

Where does the Lebesgue differentiation theorem fail?

The Lebesgue differentiation theorem says that for certain metric spaces $X$ (see below), any Borel measure $\mu$ that is finite on bounded sets and any $f: X \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ locally $\mu$-...
Vanessa's user avatar
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15 votes
3 answers
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A metric for Grassmannians

I'm reading an article by Ricardo Mañé, "The Hausdorff dimension of horseshoes of diffeomorphisms of surfaces" (https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02585431). I'm having a technical problem. Sorry for ...
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13 votes
5 answers
1k views

A generalization of metric spaces

Let $(L,<,+)$ be a structure such that (1) $<$ is a linear order of $L$, (2) $L$ has a least element 0, (3) $+$ is a binary function on $L$ that behaves like addition of positive real numbers, i....
Monroe Eskew's user avatar
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13 votes
1 answer
757 views

Euclidean tangent cone implies Riemannian manifold

It is known that given a Riemannian manifold, then the tangent cone (as a metric space) at any point $p$ is isometric to the tangent space at $p$, with the metric given by the metric tensor. Is ...
geodude's user avatar
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13 votes
2 answers
1k views

Baire Category Theorem for complete uniform spaces

The version of the Baire Category Theorem I have in mind is the statement that a countable intersection of dense open subsets of a complete metric space is dense. The question is: is it likewise ...
Jonathan Gleason's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
886 views

Converse to Banach’s fixed point theorem for ordered fields?

Suppose $R$ is an ordered field. Call a continuous map $f: R \rightarrow R$ a contraction if there exists $r < 1$ (in $R$) such that $|f(x)-f(y)| \leq r |x-y|$ for all $x,y \in R$ (where $|x| := \...
James Propp's user avatar
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10 votes
0 answers
781 views

Two questions around the $abc$-conjecture

Let $d(a,b) = 1-\frac{2 \gcd(a,b)}{a+b}$, $d_{ABC}(a,b) = 1-\frac{2\gcd(a,b)^3}{ab(a+b)}$ be two metrics on natural numbers. The abc-conjecture can be formulated using these two metrics as: For ...
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10 votes
1 answer
549 views

Does a compact contractible metric space have a point that is fixed by all isometries?

Let $(X,d)$ be a compact and contractible metric space. Let $\operatorname{Isom}(X)=\{\phi\colon X\to X\}$ be its group of isometries. Question: Is there a point $x\in X$ fixed by all $\phi\in\...
M. Winter's user avatar
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10 votes
1 answer
436 views

Probability that a random distance function is metric

Take a random $n \times n$ nonnegative symmetric matrix $D$ with zero diagonal. What is the probability that it is an abstract distance matrix, i.e. satisfies $D_{xy}+D_{yz} \geq D_{xz}$ for all index ...
Felix Goldberg's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
786 views

Completely Metrizable Space and Baire Theorem

Is well know that completely metrizable spaces are Baire's spaces. Reciprocally, if $X$ is a Baire's metric space, then $X$ is completely metrizable?
Hugo Rafael Oliveira Ribeiro's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
799 views

When is "metric dimension" well defined?

A subset $B$ of a metric space $(M,d)$ is called a metric generating set if and only if $$[\forall b \in B, d(x,b)=d(y,b)] \implies x = y \,. $$ A metric generating set $B$ is called a metric basis ...
Chill2Macht's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
2k views

End point compactification for metric spaces

Freundenthal introduced ends of topological spaces and the end point compactification of locally compact topological spaces adding one point for each end of the topological space (see here). For ...
Guillaume Brunerie's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
323 views

Hyperbolic space embeds into Wasserstein space

Fix a positive integer $n$, let $\mathbb{H}^n$ be the $n$-dimensional hyperbolic space, $r>0$, $x\in \mathbb{H}^n$ and consider the closed (compact) geodesic ball $B_{\mathbb{H}^n}(x,r)$. Are ...
Carlos_Petterson's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
3k views

Locally compact space that is not topologically complete

It is know that for a metric space, it is locally compact and separable iff exist an equivalent metric where a set is compact iff it is closed and limited. So, locally compact and seperable metric ...
Hugo Rafael Oliveira Ribeiro's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
181 views

Factorization of metric space-valued maps through vector-valued Sobolev spaces

Let $(X,d,m)$ and $(Y,\rho,n)$ be metric measure spaces and let $f:X\rightarrow Y$ be a Borel-measurable function for which there is some $y_0$ and some $p\geq 0$ such that $$ \int_{x\in X}\,d(y_0,f(x)...
ABIM's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
216 views

m-point-homogeneous, but not (m+1)-point-homogeneous

It is straightforward to check that the discrete cube $Q=\{0,1\}^n$ with $\ell^1$-metric is 3-point-homogeneous, but not 4-point-homogeneous (assuming $n$ is large). In other words, if $A\subset Q$ ...
Anton Petrunin's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
986 views

Is the hyperspace of the Hilbert cube homeomorphic to the Hilbert cube

Question: Is the hyperspace of the Hilbert cube $H=[0,1]^\mathbb {N}$ homeomorphic to $H$? Remarks and definitions: 1) The Hilbert cube $H$ is a compact metric space, where the metric is given by ...
Marcus's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
397 views

Space of curves

I am reading Burago, Burago & Ivanov's book where they distinguish the notion of a curve and a path in the following way: a path in a topological space $X$ is simply a (continuous) map from a ...
erz's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Isometric embeddings of metric spaces in Hilbert spaces

There are plenty of isometric embeddings of metric spaces in Banach spaces. Nevertheless, I have been unable to find any significant result on isometric embeddings into Hilbert spaces. My question is: ...
Alex M.'s user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
300 views

Finitely isometrically persistent metric spaces

The goal of this question is to develop further the discussion initiated in Under which conditions is it possible to find points with same distances under bi-Lipschitz map. The mentioned question was ...
Mikhail Ostrovskii's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

How is the notion of a Lipschitz structure on a manifold defined?

According to wikipedia, there is such a definition. $\:$ The candidate that I can come up with is "an equivalence class of metrics that induce the topology and make the space locally bi-Lipschitz to ...
user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
144 views

Extending a metric in a bi-Lipschitz way

Suppose we are in the following situation: $(X,d)$ is a metric space and $Y$ is a subspace of $X$. Furthermore we have a different metric $\delta$ defined on $Y$ such that $\delta$ is bi Lipschitz ...
an_ordinary_mathematician's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
317 views

Vague convergence: confusion about the regularity of a signed Radon measure and that of its variation

I'm reading a proof of below theorem from this paper. Theorem A.3. Let $\Omega$ be a locally compact normal Hausdorff space. Let $\left\{\mu_n\right\} \cup\{\mu\} \subset \mathcal{M}(\Omega)$ and ...
Analyst's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
357 views

Prove that $(v^Tx)^2−(u^Tx)^2\leq \sqrt{1−(u^Tv)^2}$ for any unit vectors $u, v, x$

I believe I found a complicated proof by bounding the spectral norm $||uu^T-vv^T||^2_2:=\max_{||x||=1}|(u^Tx)^2-(v^Tx)^2|$. Using the fact that $dist(x,y):=\sin|x-y|$ is a distance function over unit ...
Dan Feldman's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
109 views

Isometric embeddings of $c_0$ into metric spaces

Are there any nice and useful criteria or theorems which assert when a given metric space $M$ contains an isometric (not necessarily linear) copy of the Banach space $c_0$ or its unit ball $B_{c_0}$? (...
Damian Sobota's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
126 views

If $X,X'$ have the same $\varepsilon$-packing numbers and $f:X \to X'$ surjective $1$-Lipschitz, then $f$ is an isometry

Let $(X, d)$ be a compact metric space. We say that $\{x_1, \cdots, x_n\} \subseteq X$ is an $\varepsilon$-covering of $X$ if for any $x \in X$, there exists $i \in \{1, \ldots, n\}$ such that $d(x, ...
Akira's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
209 views

Show identity for a norm on Fréchet differentiable functions on a Banach space

Let $E$ be a $\mathbb R$-Banach space, $v:E\to(0,\infty)$ be continuous with $$\inf_{x\in E}v(x)>0\tag1,$$ $r\in(0,1]$ and$^1$ $$\rho(x,y):=\inf_{\substack{c\:\in\:C^1([0,\:1],\:E)\\ c(0)=x\\ c(1)=...
0xbadf00d's user avatar
  • 161
2 votes
1 answer
293 views

Complex Borel measures: does $\mu_n \to \mu$ weakly imply $|\mu|(\Theta) \le \liminf_n |\mu_n|(\Theta)$ for every open subset $\Theta$?

Let $\Omega$ be a metric space, $C_b(\Omega)$ the space of all real-valued bounded continuous functions on $\Omega$, and $\mathcal{M}(\Omega)$ the space of all finite signed Borel measures on $\Omega$...
Analyst's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
225 views

Are two metric spaces isometric if they have the same $\varepsilon$-covering numbers for all $\varepsilon>0$?

Let $(E, d)$ be a metric space. For $\varepsilon>0$, we define two notions of $\varepsilon$-covering number as follows, i.e., $N_\varepsilon^o (E)$ is the smallest number of open balls whose radii ...
Akira's user avatar
  • 749
2 votes
1 answer
84 views

Spatial dimension of a finite graph

If $(X,d)$ is a metric space, we associate with it a simple, undirected graph, called its proximity graph $G(X,d)$ given by $V(G(X,d)) = X$ and $$E(G(X,d)) = \big\{\{x,y\}:x\neq y\in X \text{ and } d(...
Dominic van der Zypen's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
111 views

Continuous inclusion of metric spaces of smaller capacity

If $(X,d_X)$ is a compact metric space, and $(Y,d)$ is another metric space. Moreover, suppose that the metric capacity of $(Y,d)$ is at-least that of $(X,d_X)$, that is $$ \kappa_X(\epsilon)\leq \...
ABIM's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
122 views

First-countable topological monoids without local absorbing elements whose topology is induced by a semimetric

This is a follow up of Question 163246. For the reader's convenience, let me first copy&paste some basic definitions. We let a semimetric on a set $X$ be a function $d: X \times X \to [0,\infty]$ ...
Salvo Tringali's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
239 views

If $(\mathbb M, \tau)$ is a topological monoid, is $\tau$ always induced by a [left] subinvariant semimetric?

Let me start by recalling some basic definitions (just for the sake of avoiding misunderstandings due to the vocabulary of the post). Basically following some ideas of W. Lawvere (but not his ...
Salvo Tringali's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
89 views

Conditions that ensure the metric topology of $E$ coincides with the initial topology induced by a collection of real-valued functions on $E$

Let $(E, d)$ be a metric space and $\mathcal F$ a collection of real-valued functions on $E$. Assume that for all $x,x_n \in E$ with $n\in \mathbb N$, $$ x_n \to x \iff [f(x_n) \to f(x) \quad \forall ...
Analyst's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
205 views

Open set of geodesics implies the set of starting points is open

Let $X$ be a complete and separable metric space, let $G(X) \subset C([0,1],X)$ be the space of continuous curves from $[0,1]$ to $X$ with constant speed, i.e. $$ d(f(t),f(s)) = |t-s| d(f(0), f(1)). $$...
User11111's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
66 views

Continuous injection of metric ball into Euclidean ball

This is a follow-up to this post. Suppose that $(X,d_X)$ is a compact metric space with (finite) metric-capacity, defined by $$ \kappa_X(\epsilon)\triangleq\sup\left\{ k : \exists x_0,\dots,x_k \...
ABIM's user avatar
  • 4,989
1 vote
0 answers
51 views

Stability of Hajłasz-Sobolev class under post-composition

Informally: When is a Sobolev function, post-composed by a vector-valued function still Sobolev? Assumptions/Setup Let $(X,d_X,m_X)$ and $(Y,d_Y,m_Y)$ be complete and separable metric measure spaces; ...
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