Bounds for the geodesic diameter of connection components of semi-algebraic open sets (Q2468517)

If \(S\subseteq\mathbb{R}^n\) is any path-connected subset then the geodesic distance \(d_S(x, y)\) of two points \(x,y\in S\) is the infimum of the length of paths connecting the points. The geodesic diameter, \(dg(S)\), is the supremum of the geodesic distances of pairs of points. The author studies the geodesic diameter of sets \(S\cap B(0; r)\), where \(S\) is an open semi-algebraic set and \(B(0; r)\) is the ball of radius \(r\) about the origin. The set is not necessarily path-connected, but it has finitely many connected components, say \(C_1,\dots, C_r\). The author derives a bound for the geodesic diameter of the components. The main tool is a result by \textit{D. D'Acunto} and \textit{K. Kurdyka} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 38, No. 6, 951--965 (2006; Zbl 1106.14046)] that answers the same question in a special case. The optimality of the bound is discussed.