Quasi-metric tree in \(T_0\)-quasi-metric spaces (Q387223)

Let \(X\) be a nonempty set, and \(d:X\times X\to [0,\infty[\) be a map. We say that \(d(.,.)\) is a quasi-pseudometric when it is triangular and reflexive (\(d(x,x)=0\), \(\forall x\in X\)); in this case, \((d^{-1}(x,y)=d(y,x); x,y\in X)\) is again a quasi-pseudometric (the conjugate of \(d\)). Call the quasi-pseudometric \(d(.,.)\), a \(T_0\)-quasi-metric, when in addition, \(d(x,y)=d(y,x)=0\) implies \(x=y\). Finally, let us say that the \(T_0\)-quasi-metric space \((X,d)\) is a quasi-metric tree, provided the following two conditions hold: (QMT1) For any \(x,y\in X\), there exists a unique function pair \(\varphi=\varphi[xy]=(\varphi[xy]_1,\varphi[xy]_2)\) where \(\varphi[xy]_1:([0,d(x,y)],u^{-1})\to (X,d)\) is an isometric embedding such that \(\varphi[xy]_1(0)=x\), \(\varphi[xy]_1(d(x,y))=y\), and \(\varphi[xy]_2:([0,d^{-1}(x,y)],u)\to (X,d^{-1})\) is an isometric embedding with \(\varphi[xy]_2(0)=y\), \(\varphi[xy]_2(d^{-1}(x,y))=x\), (QMT2) For any pair \(\varphi=(\varphi_1,\varphi_2)\), where \(\varphi_i:[0,1]\to X\) (written as \(t\mapsto x_t\)) (\(i=1,2\)) is an injective continuous function, one has \(d(x_0,x_t)+d(x_t,x_1)=d(x_0,x_1)\). The main results of the present paper are as follows. Let \((X,d)\) be a \(T_0\)-quasi-metric space. Theorem. The following conclusions hold: {\parindent=8mm \begin{itemize}\item[i)] \((X,d)\) is a quasi-metric tree iff \((X,d^{-1})\) is a quasi-metric tree \item[ii)] for any pair \(\varphi=(\varphi_1,\varphi_2)\) of isometries such that \(\varphi_1:([0,t],u^{-1})\to (X,d)\) with \(\varphi_1(0)=x\), \(\varphi_1(t)=y\) and \(\varphi_2:([0,t],u)\to (X,d^{-1})\) with \(\varphi_2(0)=y\), \(\varphi_2(t)=x\), we have \[ \varphi_1([0,t])\subseteq \langle x,y\rangle_d,\;(f_x)_1\circ \varphi_1= (f_x)_1|_{\langle x,y\rangle_d} \circ \varphi_1=\text{Id}_{[0,t]}, \] and \[ \varphi_2([0,t])\subseteq \langle x,y\rangle_d^{-1},\;(f_x)_2\circ \varphi_2= (f_x)_2|_{\langle x,y\rangle_{d^{-1}}} \circ \varphi_2=\text{Id}_{[0,t]}. \] \item[iii)] \((X,d)\) satisfies condition (QMT1) if and only if \[ (f_x)_1|_{\langle x,y\rangle_d}: (\langle x,y\rangle_d,d)\to ([0,d(x,y)],u^{-1}) \] \[ (f_x)_2|_{\langle x,y\rangle_d^{-1}}: (\langle x,y\rangle_{d^{-1}},d^{-1}) \to ([0,d(x,y)],u) \] are bijective isometries for all \(x,y\in X\). \end{itemize}} These results show that the metric trees theory is not essentially related to the symmetry of the metric.