One-sided derivative of distance to a compact set (Q1981386)

An Alexandrov space is a metric space \((X,d)\) which is complete, a locally compact length space, with curvature bounded either above or below. A shortest path in \(X\) is a curve \(\gamma:[0,T]\rightarrow X\) parametrized by arc-length such that the length \(L(\gamma)\) of \(\gamma\) is the distance between its endpoints, i.e., \(L(\gamma)=d(\gamma(0),\gamma(T))=T\). A geodesic in \(X\) is a curve which is locally a shortest path. It is well known that for Alexandrov spaces, the angle between two geodesics emanating from a common point always exists and it can be defined as a limit of angles in appropriate comparison triangles. The main result of the paper is the following: Let \(X\) be an Alexandrov space, \(\gamma:[0,T]\rightarrow X\) a shortest path, and \(K\) a compact set not containing \(\gamma(0)\). If \(l(t)=d(\gamma(t),K)\), then \[ \lim_{t\rightarrow0^{+}}\frac{l(t)-l(0)}{t}=-\cos(\angle_{\min}), \] where \(\angle_{\min}\) is the infimum of angles between \(\gamma\) and any shortest path of length \(l(0)\) which connects \(\gamma(0)\) to \(K\). The result is rather elementary and nice and the whole article is well written. For this reason, it can be used as an introduction to metric geometry and to the concepts of comparison triangles and upper angles in metric spaces.