Pseudometric space

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In mathematics, a pseudometric space is a generalization of a metric space in which the distance between two distinct points can be zero. Pseudometric spaces were introduced by Đuro Kurepa[1][2] in 1934. In the same way as every normed space is a metric space, every seminormed space is a pseudometric space. Because of this analogy, the term semimetric space (which has a different meaning in topology) is sometimes used as a synonym, especially in functional analysis.

When a topology is generated using a family of pseudometrics, the space is called a gauge space.

Definition[edit]

A pseudometric space is a set together with a non-negative real-valued function called a pseudometric, such that for every

  1. Symmetry:
  2. Subadditivity/Triangle inequality:

Unlike a metric space, points in a pseudometric space need not be distinguishable; that is, one may have for distinct values

Examples[edit]

Any metric space is a pseudometric space. Pseudometrics arise naturally in functional analysis. Consider the space of real-valued functions together with a special point This point then induces a pseudometric on the space of functions, given by

for

A seminorm induces the pseudometric . This is a convex function of an affine function of (in particular, a translation), and therefore convex in . (Likewise for .)

Conversely, a homogeneous, translation-invariant pseudometric induces a seminorm.

Pseudometrics also arise in the theory of hyperbolic complex manifolds: see Kobayashi metric.

Every measure space can be viewed as a complete pseudometric space by defining

for all where the triangle denotes symmetric difference.

If is a function and d2 is a pseudometric on X2, then gives a pseudometric on X1. If d2 is a metric and f is injective, then d1 is a metric.

Topology[edit]

The pseudometric topology is the topology generated by the open balls

which form a basis for the topology.[3] A topological space is said to be a pseudometrizable space[4] if the space can be given a pseudometric such that the pseudometric topology coincides with the given topology on the space.

The difference between pseudometrics and metrics is entirely topological. That is, a pseudometric is a metric if and only if the topology it generates is T0 (that is, distinct points are topologically distinguishable).

The definitions of Cauchy sequences and metric completion for metric spaces carry over to pseudometric spaces unchanged.[5]

Metric identification[edit]

The vanishing of the pseudometric induces an equivalence relation, called the metric identification, that converts the pseudometric space into a full-fledged metric space. This is done by defining if . Let be the quotient space of by this equivalence relation and define

This is well defined because for any we have that and so and vice versa. Then is a metric on and is a well-defined metric space, called the metric space induced by the pseudometric space .[6][7]

The metric identification preserves the induced topologies. That is, a subset is open (or closed) in if and only if is open (or closed) in and is saturated. The topological identification is the Kolmogorov quotient.

An example of this construction is the completion of a metric space by its Cauchy sequences.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Kurepa, Đuro (1934). "Tableaux ramifiés d'ensembles, espaces pseudodistaciés". C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris. 198 (1934): 1563–1565.
  2. ^ Collatz, Lothar (1966). Functional Analysis and Numerical Mathematics. New York, San Francisco, London: Academic Press. p. 51.
  3. ^ "Pseudometric topology". PlanetMath.
  4. ^ Willard, p. 23
  5. ^ Cain, George (Summer 2000). "Chapter 7: Complete pseudometric spaces" (PDF). Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  6. ^ Howes, Norman R. (1995). Modern Analysis and Topology. New York, NY: Springer. p. 27. ISBN 0-387-97986-7. Retrieved 10 September 2012. Let be a pseudo-metric space and define an equivalence relation in by if . Let be the quotient space and the canonical projection that maps each point of onto the equivalence class that contains it. Define the metric in by for each pair . It is easily shown that is indeed a metric and defines the quotient topology on .
  7. ^ Simon, Barry (2015). A comprehensive course in analysis. Providence, Rhode Island: American Mathematical Society. ISBN 978-1470410995.

References[edit]