Fixed point theorems in \(\mathbb R\)-trees with applications to graph theory (Q818348)

Let \((X,d)\) be a metric space. For \(x\), \(y\in X\), a geodesic segment joining \(x\) and \(y\) is the image of a map \(c\) from a closed interval \([0,l] \subset\mathbb{R}\) to \(X\) such that \(c(0)=x\), \(c(l)=y\), and \(d(c(t),c(t'))=|t-t'|\) for all \(t\), \(t'\in[0,l]\). A subset \(Y\subset X\) is convex if \(Y\) includes every geodesic segment joining any two of its points. A geodesic ray in \(X\) is a subset of \(X\) isometric to the half-line \([0,\infty)\subset\mathbb{R}\). An \(\mathbb{R}\)-tree is a metric space \(X\) such that: (i) for each pair of points \(x\), \(y\in X\), there is a unique geodesic segment (denoted by \([x,y])\) joining \(x\) and \(y\); (ii) if \([y,x]\cap[x,z]= \{x\}\), then \([y,x]\cup[x,z]=[y,z]\). A mapping \(f:X\to X\) is nonexpansive if \(d(f(x),f(y))\leq d(x,y)\) for all \(x\), \(y\in X\). The authors' main result is the following theorem: Let \((X,d)\) be a complete \(\mathbb{R}\)-tree, and suppose \(K\) is a closed convex subset of \(X\) which does not contain a geodesic ray. Then every commuting family \({\mathcal I}\) of nonexpansive mappings of \(K\to K\) has a nonempty common fixed-point set. The authors apply this theorem to obtain some new results in graph theory.