Ephemeral persistence modules and distance comparison (Q2664177)

The paper studies multiparameter persistence modules by a sheaf-theoretic approach. Extracting appropriate features from multiparameter persistence modules is difficult and many approaches have been proposed, for example, using polynomial rings and quiver representations. Another approach using sheaf theory is proposed by [\textit{J. Curry}, Sheaves, cosheaves and applications. (Ph.D. thesis) University of Pennsylvania (2014), \url{arXiv:1303.3255}] and [\textit{M. Kashiwara} and \textit{P. Schapira}, J. Appl. Comput. Topol. 2, No. 1-2, 83--113 (2018; Zbl 1423.55013)]. The current paper reveals more about the significance of sheaf theory, in particular, \(\gamma\)-sheaves, for studying persistent homology. One of the aims of the paper is to compare the two approaches of Curry and Kashiwara-Schapira, where the former uses Alexandrov topology and the latter uses \(\gamma\)-topology, where \(\gamma\) is a closed convex proper cone in a finite-dimensional real vector space \(\mathbb{V}\). The authors consider a morphism of sites between Alexandrov and \(\gamma\)-topology spaces \(\beta \colon \mathbb{V}_\mathfrak{a} \to \mathbb{V}_\gamma\), which induces a functor between the categories of sheaves of \(\mathbf{k}\)-vector spaces \(\beta_* \colon \mathrm{Mod}(\mathbf{k}_{\mathbb{V}_\mathfrak{a}}) \to \mathrm{Mod}(\mathbf{k}_{\mathbb{V}_\gamma})\). The category of ephemeral modules \(\mathrm{Eph}(\mathbf{k}_{\mathbb{V}_\mathfrak{a}})\) is now defined as the kernel of the functor. In this way, the notion of ephemeral modules can be defined in arbitrary dimension and coincides with the definition of [\textit{F. Chazal} et al., The structure and stability of persistence modules. Cham: Springer (2016; Zbl 1362.55002)] in the one-dimensional case. An equivalence between \(\mathrm{Mod}(\mathbf{k}_{\mathbb{V}_\mathfrak{a}})/\mathrm{Eph}(\mathbf{k}_{\mathbb{V}_\mathfrak{a}})\) and \(\mathrm{Mod}(\mathbf{k}_{\mathbb{V}_\gamma})\) is also obtained, which shows the equivalence between the observable category and \(\gamma\)-sheaves. The authors extend the results to the derived setting. The latter half of the paper studies the distances on the two categories. For a fixed vector \(v\), both categories admit interleaving distances to the \(v\)-direction. The authors show an isometry theorem on these metrics. Finally, the paper investigates the relation between the convolution distance defined by Kashiwara-Schapira and the interleaving distance on the category of sheaves on \(\mathbb{V}_\gamma\). The convolution distance depends on the norm on \(\mathbb{V}\), whereas the interleaving distance depends on \(v\). The authors introduce a preferred norm and prove an isometry theorem on these metrics under a mild assumption.