The Structure of Extended Real-valued Metric Spaces

An extended metric on a set X is a distance function that satisfies the usual properties of a metric except that it can assume values of infinity, in addition to nonnegative real values. Given a metrizable space we exhibit a universal space for all extended metric spaces compatible with the topology. Defining a set in an extended metric space to be bounded if it is contained in a finite union of open balls, we characterize those bornologies on X that can be realized as bornologies of metrically bounded sets. We also consider a second possible definition of bounded set in this setting.     

Bi-Lipschitz geometry of weighted homogeneous surface singularities

We show that a weighted homogeneous complex surface singularity is metrically conical (i.e., bi-Lipschitz equivalent to a metric cone) only if its two lowest weights are equal. We also give an example of a pair of weighted homogeneous complex surface singularities that are topologically equivalent but not bi-Lipschitz equivalent. L. Birbrair was supported under CNPq grant no. 300985/93-2. A. Fernandes was supported under CNPq grant no. 300393/2005-9. W. D. Neumann was supported under NSA grant H98230-06-1-011 and NSF grant no. DMS-0206464.     

Realization of Metric Spaces as Inverse Limits, and Bilipschitz Embedding in L 1

We give sufficient conditions for a metric space to bilipschitz embed in L ₁. In particular, if X is a length space and there is a Lipschitz map ${u: X \rightarrow \mathbb R}$ such that for every interval ${I \subset \mathbb R}$ , the connected components of u ^?1(I) have diameter ${\leq {\rm const} \cdot {\rm diam}(I)}$ , then X admits a bilipschitz embedding in L ₁. As a corollary, the Laakso examples, (Geom Funct Anal 10(1):111–123, 2000), bilipschitz embed in L ₁, though they do not embed in any any Banach space with the Radon–Nikodym property (e.g. the space ? ₁ of summable sequences). The spaces appearing the statement of the bilipschitz embedding theorem have an alternate characterization as inverse limits of systems of metric graphs satisfying certain additional conditions. This representation, which may be of independent interest, is the initial part of the proof of the bilipschitz embedding theorem. The rest of the proof uses the combinatorial structure of the inverse system of graphs and a diffusion construction, to produce the embedding in L ₁.     

Points with maximal Birkhoff average oscillation

Let f: X → X be a continuous map with the specification property on a compact metric space X. We introduce the notion of the maximal Birkhoff average oscillation, which is the “worst” divergence point for Birkhoff average. By constructing a kind of dynamical Moran subset, we prove that the set of points having maximal Birkhoff average oscillation is residual if it is not empty. As applications, we present the corresponding results for the Birkhoff averages for continuous functions on a repeller and locally maximal hyperbolic set.     

K-duality for pseudomanifolds with isolated singularities

We associate to a pseudomanifold X with a conical singularity a differentiable groupoid G which plays the role of the tangent space of X. We construct a Dirac element and a dual Dirac element which induce a K-duality between the C∗-algebras C∗(G) and C(X). This is a first step toward an index theory for pseudomanifolds.     

Bilipschitz Embeddings of Metric Spaces into Space Forms

The paper describes some basic geometric tools to construct bilipschitz embeddings of metric spaces into (finite-dimensional) Euclidean or hyperbolic spaces. One of the main results implies the following: If X is a geodesic metric space with convex distance function and the property that geodesic segments can be extended to rays, then X admits a bilipschitz embedding into some Euclidean space iff X has the doubling property, and X admits a bilipschitz embedding into some hyperbolic space iff X is Gromov hyperbolic and doubling up to some scale. In either case the image of the embedding is shown to be a Lipschitz retract in the target space, provided X is complete.     

Reflexive modules on normal surface singularities and representations of the local fundamental group

We consider the Riemann-Hilbert correspondence on the complement of a normal surface singularity (X,x). Through a closure operation we obtain a correspondence between the category of finite dimensional representations of the local fundamental group and the category of left D_X,x-modules that are reflexive as O_X,x-modules. We show that under this correspondence profinite representations correspond to invariant modules and that these admit a canonical structure as left D_X,x-modules. We prove that the fundamental module is an invariant module if and only if (X,x) is a quotient singularity. Finally we investigate some algebraisation aspects.     

On normed Jordan algebras which are Banach dual spaces

Alfsen, Shultz, and Størmer have defined a class of normed Jordan algebras called JB-algebras, which are closely related to Jordan algebras of self-adjoint operators. We show that the enveloping algebra of a JB-algebra can be identified with its bidual. This is used to show that a JB-algebra is a dual space iff it is monotone complete and admits a separating set of normal states; in this case the predual is unique and consists of all normal linear functionals. Such JB-algebras (“JBW-algebras”) admit a unique decomposition into special and purely exceptional summands. The special part is isomorphic to a weakly closed Jordan algebra of self-adjoint operators. The purely exceptional part is isomorphic to C(X, M₃⁸) (the continuous functions from X into M₃⁸).     

Sequential + separable vs sequentially separable and another variation on selective separability

A space X is sequentially separable if there is a countable D ? X such that every point of X is the limit of a sequence of points from D. Neither “sequential + separable” nor “sequentially separable” implies the other. Some examples of this are presented and some conditions under which one of the two implies the other are discussed. A selective version of sequential separability is also considered.     

Gromov hyperbolicity through decomposition of metric spaces

We study the hyperbolicity of metric spaces in the Gromov sense. We deduce the hyperbolicity of a space from the hyperbolicity of its “building block components”. These results are valuable since they simplify notably the topology of the space and allow to obtain global results from local information. We also study how the punctures and the decomposition of a Riemann surface in Y-pieces and funnels affect the hyperbolicity of the surface.     

Completeness of the Space of Separable Measures in the Kantorovich-Rubinshtein Metric

We consider the space M(X) of separable measures on the Borel σ-algebra ?(X) of a metric space X. The space M(X) is furnished with the Kantorovich-Rubinshtein metric known also as the “Hutchinson distance” (see [1]). We prove that M(X) is complete if and only if X is complete. We consider applications of this theorem in the theory of selfsimilar fractals.     

On the Form of Subobjects in Semi-Abelian and Regular Protomodular Categories

Let Gls denote the category of (possibly large) ordered sets with Galois connections as morphisms between ordered sets. The aim of the present paper is to characterize semi-abelian and regular protomodular categories among all regular categories ?, via the form of subobjects of ?, i.e. the functor ? → Gls which assigns to each object X in ? the ordered set Sub(X) of subobjects of X, and carries a morphism f : X → Y to the induced Galois connection Sub(X) → Sub(Y) (where the left adjoint maps a subobject m of X to the regular image of fm, and the right adjoint is given by pulling back a subobject of Y along f). Such functor amounts to a Grothendieck bifibration over ?. The conditions which we use to characterize semi-abelian and regular protomodular categories can be stated as self-dual conditions on the bifibration corresponding to the form of subobjects. This development is closely related to the work of Grandis on “categorical foundations of homological and homotopical algebra”. In his work, forms appear as the so-called “transfer functors” which associate to an object the lattice of “normal subobjects” of an object, where “normal” is defined relative to an ideal of null morphism admitting kernels and cokernels.     

Posets admitting a unique order-compatible topology

A characterization is given for those posets (X, ?) such that X admits exactly one topology inducing the given partial order ?. As a corollary, a poset is finite if and only if it is finite-dimensional and admits a unique compatible topology. Related applications and examples are also developed.     

When is the Isbell topology a group topology?

Conditions on a topological space X under which the space C(X,R) of continuous real-valued maps with the Isbell topology κ is a topological group (topological vector space) are investigated. It is proved that the addition is jointly continuous at the zero function in Cκ(X,R) if and only if X is infraconsonant. This property is (formally) weaker than consonance, which implies that the Isbell and the compact-open topologies coincide. It is shown the translations are continuous in Cκ(X,R) if and only if the Isbell topology coincides with the fine Isbell topology. It is proved that these topologies coincide if X is prime (that is, with at most one non-isolated point), but do not even for some sums of two consonant prime spaces.     

The Conjugate Class of a Supercyclic Operator

In this paper, we show that the conjugate set of any supercyclic operator T on a separable, infinite dimensional Banach space X contains a path of supercyclic operators which is dense with the strong operator topology, and the set of common supercyclic vectors for the path is a dense G _?? set if ?? _p (T*) is empty.     

A “planar” representation for generalized transition kernels

In [9], Mauldin, Preiss and von Weizsäcker have given a theorem representing transition kernels (atomless and between standard Borel spaces) by a planar model. Here, motivated by measure-theoretic as well as probabilistic considerations, we generalize by allowing the parametrizing spaceX to be arbitrary, with an arbitrary σ-field of “Borel” subsets, and allowing the corresponding measures to have atoms. (We also, for convenience rather than generality, allow arbitrary finite measures rather than probability ones.) The transition kernel is replaced by a substantially equivalent one fromX toX ×I that is “sectioned”, hence completely orthogonal. This is shown to be isomorphic to a model in which the image space consists of 3 specifically defined subsets ofX × ?: an ordinate set (in which vertical sections have Lebesgue measure), an “atomic” set contained inX × (??), and a “singular” set with null sections. The method incidentally produces and exploits a “reverse” transition kernel fromX toX ×I. Some further extensions are briefly discussed; in particular, allowing “uniformly σ-finite” measures (in the “standard” case) leads to a generalization that includes the planar representation theorem of Rokhlin [10] and the author [5]; cf. also [7, 2].     

Milnor open books and Milnor fillable contact 3-manifolds

We say that an oriented contact manifold (M,ξ) is Milnor fillable if it is contactomorphic to the contact boundary of an isolated complex-analytic singularity (X,x). In this article we prove that any three-dimensional oriented manifold admits at most one Milnor fillable contact structure up to contactomorphism. The proof is based on Milnor open books: we associate an open book decomposition of M with any holomorphic function f:(X,x)→(C,0), with isolated singularity at x and we verify that all these open books carry the contact structure ξ of (M,ξ)—generalizing results of Milnor and Giroux.     

On normality of the Wijsman topology

Let (X, ρ) be a metric space and (CL(X), W _ρ ) be the hyperspace of all nonempty closed subsets of X equipped with the Wijsman topology. The Wijsman topology is one of the most important classical hyperspace topologies. We give a partial answer to a question posed in Di Maio (Quaderni di Matematica, 3:55–92, 1998) whether the normality of (CL(X), W _ρ ) is equivalent to its metrizability. If (X, ρ) is a linear metric space, then (CL(X), W _ρ ) is normal if and only if (CL(X), W _ρ ) is metrizable. Some further results concerning normality of the Wijsman topology on CL(X) are also proved.     

Group topologies coarser than the Isbell topology

The Isbell, compact-open and point-open topologies on the set C(X,R) of continuous real-valued maps can be represented as the dual topologies with respect to some collections α(X) of compact families of open subsets of a topological space X. Those α(X) for which addition is jointly continuous at the zero function in Cα(X,R) are characterized, and sufficient conditions for translations to be continuous are found. As a result, collections α(X) for which Cα(X,R) is a topological vector space are defined canonically. The Isbell topology coincides with this vector space topology if and only if X is infraconsonant. Examples based on measure theoretic methods, that Cα(X,R) can be strictly finer than the compact-open topology, are given. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a splitting group topology strictly finer than the compact-open topology.     

On projections and limit mappings of inverse systems of compact spaces

A compactificaton αX of a completely regular space X is “determined” by a subset F of C¹(X) if αX is the smallest compactificaton of X to which each element of F extends, and is “generated” by F if the evaluation map $\text{e}{}_{\mathrm{F}}\text{:X →}\text{R}{}^{\mathrm{n}}\text{,n = |F|}$, is an embedding and $\text{αX =}\text{e}{}_{\mathrm{F}}\text{(X)}$. Evidently, if F either determines or generates αX, then every elements of F has an extension to αX; whenever F satisfies this latter condition, the set of all such extensions is denoted F^α.A major results of our previous paper is that F determines αX if and only if F^α separates points of αX ? X. A major result of the present paper is that F generates αX if and only if F^α separates points of αX.