Conditions for an extremum in metric spaces (Q5928201)

Let \(X\) be a metric space with metric \(\rho\), let \(f\) be a functional on \(X\) with values in \(\overline{\mathbb R}\), and let \(x\in X\) be such that \(f(x)\in \mathbb R\). For \(k \in (0, +\infty)\), the author defines the \(k\)-th order rate of steepest descent of \(f\) at \(x\) by \[ \liminf_{\substack{ y \in X\\ y\rightarrow x}} \frac{f(y) - f(x)}{\rho^k(x,y)}. \] The \(k\)-th order rate of steepest ascent is defined analogously, with \(\liminf\) replaced by \(\limsup\). Using theses concepts, the author establishes (obvious) necessary and sufficient conditions for \(x\) to be a local or global minimizer or maximizer of \(f\) on \(X\).