The natural pseudo-distance as a quotient pseudo-metric, and applications (Q2343367)

This paper conveniently puts some order in the theory of the ``natural pseudo-distance'', a tool well-conceived for comparing shapes in Pattern Recognition, once we assume that ``shape'' is formalized by a function on a space rather than by the space itself [\textit{S. Biasotti}, \textit{L. De Floriani} \textit{B. Falcidieno}, \textit{P. Frosini}, \textit{D. Giorgi}, \textit{C. Landi}, \textit{L. Papaleo} and \textit{M. Spagnuolo}, ``Describing shapes by geometrical-topological properties of real functions'', ACM Comput. Surv. 40, 1--87 (2008)]. Let \(M\) be a compact manifold and \(\mathcal{H}(M)\) be the set of auto-homeomorphisms of \(M\). On the set of continuous functions \(\mathcal{C}(M, \mathbb{R}^n)\) the \textit{natural pseudo-distance} is defined as \(\delta(f, g) = \inf_{h\in \mathcal{H}(M)} \max_{p\in M} \| f(p) - g\circ h(p) \|_\infty\), cf. \textit{P. Frosini} and \textit{M. Mulazzani} [Bull. Belg. Math. Soc. - Simon Stevin 6, No. 3, 455--464 (1999; Zbl 0937.55010)]. It is not a proper distance but a pseudo-metric, in that \(\delta(f, g)=0\) does not imply \(f=g\), see \textit{A. Cerri} and \textit{B. Di Fabio} [Forum Math. 26, No. 6, 1611--1628 (2014; Zbl 1312.57039)]. The paper starts by resuming and completing a general result on quotients of pseudo-metric spaces. This is then applied to the natural pseudo-distance: It is a distance if and only if it induces a \(T_0\) topology, if and only if each orbit of the action of \(\mathcal{H}(M)\) on \(\mathcal{C}(M, \mathbb{R}^n)\) is closed. A metric space is obtained also by taking the quotient of the embeddings of \(M\) into \(\mathbb{R}^n\) under the action of \(\mathcal{H}(M)\). It makes sense -- also in application-oriented contexts -- to define a pseudo-distance by taking the above infimum not on all of \(\mathcal{H}(M)\) but on a specific subgroup of it. So one gets metric spaces by using isometries or, for submanifolds with rotational symmetries, a continuous or a discrete group of rotations. Another noticeable example is given by a simplicial manifold and its group of simplicial auto-homeomorphisms. The whole final subsection deals at length with the case where \(M\) is a 2-dimensional manifold, the set of functions on \(M\) is the one of simple Morse functions, and the pseudo-distance comes from the uniform convergence metric under the action of the group of auto-diffeomorphisms. Also in this case a metric space is obtained.