A monotone path-connected set with outer radially lower continuous metric projection is a strict sun (Q2360253)

Let \(M\) be a nonempty subset of a real Banach space \(X\) and \(P_M\) the metric projection on \(M\). The set \(M\) is called a sun if for every \(x\in X\smallsetminus M \) there exists \(y\in P_M(x)\) such that (*)\; \(y\in P_M(y+\lambda(y-x))\) for all \(\lambda >0.\) The set \(M\) is called a strict protosun (strict sun) if (*) holds for every \(y\in P_M(x)\) (and, in addition, \(P_M(x)\neq \emptyset\)). One says that \(M\) is a B-sun if \(M\cap B[x,r]\) is a sun (or empty) for every closed ball \(B[x,r]\). Finally, \(M\) is called an LG-set if for any \(x\in X\smallsetminus M \) every local minimum of the function \(y\mapsto \|x-y\|\), \(y\in M\), is a global one. The metric projection \(P_M\) is called ORL-continuous (outer radially continuous) at \(x_0\in X\) if for every \(v_0\in P_M(x_0)\) and every open subset \(W\) of \(X\) with \(W\cap P_M(x)\neq\emptyset\), there exists a neighborhood \(U\) of \(x_0\) such that \(W\cap P_M(x)\neq\emptyset\) for all \(x\in U\cap \{v_0+\lambda(x_0-v_0) : \lambda\geq 1\}\). A monotone path is a continuous curve \(k:[0,1]\to X\) such that \(f(k(\cdot))\) is monotone for every extreme point \(f\) of the closed unit ball of \(X^*\). The set \(M\) is called monotone path-connected if every pair \(x,y\) of points in \(M\) can be joined by a monotone path contained in \(M\). It is known that \((1)\, M\) is a strict protosun \(\Rightarrow (2)\, P_M\) is ORL-continuous \(\Rightarrow (3)\, M\) is an LG-set, and that the implication \((2) \Rightarrow (3)\) is not reversible. The present paper is concerned with partial converses to the implication \((1) \Rightarrow (2)\). Among other results, the author proves that if \(M\) is a monotone path connected subset of a finite dimensional Banach space \(X\), then \(M\) is a strict sun iff \(M\) is a B-contractible strict sun iff the metric projection \(P_M\) is ORL-continuous. Also, in a finite-dimensional Banach space, any B-sun is a sun, and a B-sun is a strict sun iff \(P_M\) is ORL-continuous.