The Urysohn sphere is oscillation stable (Q1034684)

A metric space \(X\) is ultrahomogeneous if for all finite \(F,G\subseteq X\) and isometries \(T\) from \(F\) onto \(G\), \(T\) extends to an isometry of \(X\) onto \(X\). The Urysohn sphere \(S\) is the unique (up to isometry) complete separable ultrahomogeneous metric space of diameter~1 into which every separable metric space, of diameter at most~1, embeds isometrically. For \(\varepsilon\geq0\), a metric space \(X\) is \(\varepsilon\)-indivisible if whenever \(\gamma\) is a finite partition of \(X\) there exist \(\Gamma\in\gamma\) and \(\widetilde X\subseteq X\), \(\widetilde X\) isometric to \(X\), so that \(\widetilde X \subseteq (\Gamma)_{\varepsilon} \equiv \{ x\in X : d(x,\Gamma)\leq \varepsilon\}\). \(X\) is approximately indivisible if it is \(\varepsilon\)-indivisible for all \(\varepsilon>0\). From the main result of [\textit{E.\,Odell} and \textit{T.\,Schlumprecht}, ``The distortion problem'', Acta Math.\ 173, No.\,2, 259--281 (1994; Zbl 0828.46005)] we have that \(S^\infty\), the unit sphere of \(\ell_2\), is not approximately indivisible. As the authors point out, \(S\) shares much with \(S^\infty\). The analog of Milman's theorem for \(\ell_2\) holds: For all finite partitions \(\gamma\) of \(S\), \(\varepsilon>0\), and compact \(D\subseteq S\), there exist \(\Gamma\in \gamma\) and \(\widetilde K\subseteq S\), \(\widetilde K\) isometric to \(K\), with \(\widetilde K\subseteq (\Gamma)_\varepsilon\) [\textit{V.\,Pestov}, ``Ramsey-Milman phenomenon, Urysohn metric spaces, and extremely amenable groups'', Isr.\ J.\ Math.\ 127, 317--357 (2002; Zbl 1007.43001)]. Moreover, \(\text{iso}(S^\infty)\), the group of onto isometries, is extremely amenable [\textit{M.\,Gromov} and \textit{V.\,D.\thinspace Milman}, ``A topological application of the isoperimetric inequality'', Am.\ J.\ Math.\ 105, 843--854 (1983; Zbl 0522.53039)] as is \(\text{iso}(S)\), cf. \textit{V.\,Pestov} [loc.\ cit.]. Despite the similarity, the main result of this paper is that \(S\) is approximately indivisible. The proof of the theorem is combinatorial and inspired by \textit{W.\,T.\thinspace Gowers}' result [``Lipschitz functions on classical spaces'', Europ.\ J.\ Combinatorics 13, No.\,3, 141--151 (1992; Zbl 0763.46015)] that the unit sphere of \(c_0\) is approximately indivisible. It also uses an equivalence established in [\textit{J.\,Lopez-Abad} and \textit{L.\,N.\thinspace Van Thé}, ``The oscillation stability problem for the Urysohn sphere: A combinatorial approach'', Topology Appl.\ 155, No.\,14, 1516--1530 (2008; Zbl 1149.22020)] that \(S\) is approximately indivisible iff for all \(m\in \mathbb N\), \(U_m\) is 0-indivisible. \(U_m\) is the unique (up to isometry) countable ultrahomogeneous metric space with distances lying in \(\{1,\dots,m\}\) into which every countable metric space with distances lying in \(\{1,\dots,m\}\) embeds isometrically.