On a generalization of the selection theorem of Mahler (Q2388621)

In 1946 Mahler obtained important results on star bodies and their critical lattices in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) using Mahler's selection theorem. This theorem is very efficient in many problems of geometry of numbers. Several authors revisited this theorem, giving generalizations and analogs for other ambient spaces than \(\mathbb{R}^n\). In the present paper the authors have developed a new version of the theorem adapted to point sets in an ambient space. This can be formulated as follows: The set \(UD_r\) of points sets of \(\mathbb{R}^n\), \(n\geq 1\), having the property that their minimal interpoint distance is greater than a given strictly positive constant \(r> 0\) is shown to be equippable by a metric \(d\) for which it is a compact topological space and such that the Hausdorff metric on the subset \(UD_{r,f}\subset UD_r\) of finite point sets is compatible with the restriction of this topology to \(UD_{r,f}\). It is shown that its subsets of Delone sets of given constants in \(\mathbb{R}^n\), \(n\geq 1\) are compact. The space \(UD_r\) is exactly the space of equal sphere packings of radius \(r/2\) of \(\mathbb{R}^n\). A construction of \(d\) is given from an averaging sequence of compact sets of \(\mathbb{R}^n\) and the corresponding Hausdorff metric. Two other constructions of equivalent metrics are given. The first one is inspired by a metric put on the space of Delone sets. The second one is obtained by point counting systems normalized by suitable distances. It is of crystallographic nature while the other two metrics arise in analysis. These three metrics require a base point in the ambient space \(\mathbb{R}^n\) which is taken to be common and equal to zero. It is shown that these metrics are topologically equivalent. This topological equivalence is deeply related to the uniform continuity of the removal process of points of \(UD\)-set at infinity. It is proved that this compactness theorem implies the classical Mahler's selection theorem. The generalization of this result to ambient spaces other than \(\mathbb{R}^n\) is also discussed.