An alternative description of approach spaces via approach cores (Q328646)

An approach space is a generalisation of a metric space in which instead of `point-to-point' distances being specified, one gives `point-to-set' distances. More exactly one has a distance function \(X\times \mathcal{P}(X)\to [0,\infty]\), where \(\mathcal{P}(X)\) is the power set of \(X\), satisfying some intuitive axioms. An approach space has a natural topology given by a closure operator. These spaces were introduced by \textit{R. Lowen} [Math. Nachr. 141, 183--226 (1989; Zbl 0676.54012)]. Equivalent definitions come in a variety of forms including several that are used in the paper under review (but which are not all explicitly given). The aim of the paper is to present several new descriptions of approach spaces which are complementary forms of Lowen's one's in the sense that descriptions of a topology by open sets is equivalent to one by the complementary closed sets. This process is not simple as the obvious lattice structure is not complemented. One form of description in particular, given by the `approach cores' of the paper's title can be thought of as measuring the extent to which a point can be considered to be an interior point of a subset of the space. This form is compared to the various alternative descriptions via explicit transformations and these are used to prove a counterpart to a result of \textit{R. Lowen} [Index analysis. Approach theory at work. London: Springer (2015; Zbl 1311.54002)], on the lower hull operator. The theory of approach cores is also developed further, proving analogues of several classical results.