Common best proximity points: global optimization of multi-objective functions (Q2430043)

Given non-empty subsets \(A\) and \(B\) of a metric spare \((X, d)\), an element \(x^*\) in \(A\) is said to be a common best proximity point of the non-self-mappings \(S: A\to B\) and \(T: A\to B\) if it satisfies the condition \[ d(x^*, Sx^*)= d(x^*, Tx^*)= d(A, B)\equiv\text{inf}\{d(x, y): x\in A,\, y\in B\}. \] It is easy to see that a common best proximity point is an element at which both real-valued functions \(x\mapsto d(x, Sx)\) and \(x\mapsto d(x, Tx)\) attain a global minimum. Further, if the underlying mappings are self-mappings, a common best proximity point becomes a common fixed point. An interesting common best proximity point theorem for pairs of non-self-mappings satisfying a contraction-like condition is proved in this paper. The proved result generalizes a common fixed point theorem due to \textit{G. Jungck} [Am. Math. Mon. 83, 261--263 (1976; Zbl 0321.54025)] for pairs of communting self-mappings, which in turn gives rise to the well-known Banach contraction principle.