A fixed point theorem in probabilistic metric spaces and an application (Q1922936)

A multivalued mapping \(f\) is a function from a set \(S\) to the power set of \(S\). The authors consider and give an answer to the question: does there exist an \(x \in S\) such that \(x \in f(x)\), when \((S, {\mathcal F}, T)\) is a complete probabilistic metric space. The first step is to extend \textit{T. L. Hicks}' definition of a contraction map to multivalued functions [Zb. Rad., Prir.-Mat. Fak., Univ. Novom Sadu, Ser. Mat. 13, 63-72 (1983; Zbl 0574.54044)]. This is called a \((\Psi,C)\) contraction. Next, they prove that if \(f\) is a \((\Psi,C)\) contraction on a complete probabilistic metric space \((S, {\mathcal F}, T)\) where \(\sup_x (T(x,x)) = 1\), and either \(f\) is weakly demicompact or \(T\) is an \(h\)-type \(t\)-norm, then there is an \(x \in S\) such that \(x \in f(x)\); i.e. they prove a fixed point theorem for \((\Psi, C)\) contractions. Lastly, they apply this result to random operators to exhibit the existence of a random fixed point.