Unsymmetric \(T_0\)-quasi-metrics (Q2187154)

A \textit{quasi-pseudometric} space \((X,d)\) is a metric space in which the axiom of symmetry \(d(x,y)=d(y,x)\) is omitted and the equality \(d(x,y)=0\) is possible in the case \(x\neq y\). A quasi-pseudometric is called a \textit{\(T_0\)-quasi-metric} provided that \(d\) also satisfies the following condition: For each \(x, y \in X\), \(d(x, y) = 0 = d(y, x)\) implies that \(x = y\). If instead of the standard triangle inequality we have \(d(x,z) \leqslant \max \{d(x,y), d(y,z)\}\), then \((X,d)\) is called a \textit{\(T_0\)-ultra-quasi-metric} space. A \(T_0\)-quasi-metric \(d\) on a set \(X\) is called \textit{unsymmetric} provided that for each \(x, y, z \in X\) the following variant of the triangle inequality holds: \(d(x, z) \leqslant d(x, y) \vee d(y, x) \vee d(y, z)\). From the authors' abstract: ``Each \(T_0\)-ultra-quasi-metric is unsymmetric. We also note that for each unsymmetric \(T_0\)-quasi-metric \(d\), its symmetrization \(d^s = d \vee d^{-1}\) is an ultra-metric. Furthermore we observe that unsymmetry of \(T_0\)-quasi-metrics is preserved by subspaces and suprema of nonempty finite families, but not necessarily under conjugation. In addition we show that the bicompletion of an unsymmetric \(T_0\)-quasi-metric is unsymmetric. The induced \(T_0\)-quasi-metric of an asymmetrically normed real vector space \(X\) is unsymmetric if and only if \(X = \{0\}\). Our results are illustrated by various examples. We also explain how our investigations relate to the theory of ordered topological spaces and questions about (pairwise) strong zero-dimensionality in bitopological spaces.''