Recognizing special metrics by topological properties of the ``metric''-proximal hyperspace (Q1860637)

For a \(T_1\)-space \(X\), let \({\mathcal F}(X)\) denote the family of all non-empty closed subsets of \(X\). It is known that \({\mathcal F}(X)\) can be topologized in various natural ways. Consider e.g. the Vietoris topology. If \((X,\rho)\) is a metric space then a subset \(A\) of \(X\) is called \(\rho\)-clopen if \(\rho(A,X\setminus A)>0\). It is clear that every \(\rho\)-clopen set is clopen; the converse need not be true. The space \((X,\rho)\) is called \(\rho\)-connected if \(\emptyset\) and \(X\) are the only \(\rho\)-clopen sets. In this paper the authors prove among other things that \((X,\rho)\) is \(\rho\)-connected if and only if \({\mathcal F}(X)\) is connected in the \(\rho\)-proximal topology. They also present a compatible complete metric \(p\) on the space of irrational numbers \(P\) such that \((P,p)\) is \(p\)-connected. This implies that a completely metrizable space containing a closed copy of \(P\) admits a compatible complete metric \(d\) such that \({\mathcal F}(X)\) does not admit a selection which is continuous in the \(d\)-proximal topology. In contrast, if \((X,\rho)\) has a base of \(\rho\)-clopen sets, then \({\mathcal F}(X)\) does admit a selection which is continuous in the \(\rho\)-proximal topology. Further applications and related results about other disconnectedness-like properties of proximal hyperspaces are obtained.