Internal inverse limits and retractions (Q888115)

The authors investigate \textit{internal limit structures} on metrizable compacta \(X\). Given a sequence \((X_n)\) of closed subsets of \(X\) and maps \(f_n:X_{n+1}\to X_n\), one says that the inverse sequence \((X_n,f_n)\) converges in \(X\) if: {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] each thread \((x_1,x_2,\dots)\) of the inverse sequence determines a convergent sequence \((x_n)\) in \(X\);\smallskip \item [(ii)] the assignment \(f\) defined by \((x_1,x_2,\dots)\mapsto \lim(x_n)\) is a continuous function from \(\lim(X_n,f_n)\) to \(X\); and \smallskip \item [(iii)] the sequence of projections \(\pi_n:\lim(X_n,f_n)\to X_n\) converges uniformly to a map of \(\lim(X_n,f_n)\) to \(\mathrm{Lim}\,X_n\). \smallskip \end{itemize}} Note that in (iii), \(\mathrm{Lim}\,X_n\) refers to convergence with respect to the Vietoris topology, that is, the one induced by the Hausdorff metric if the space \(X\) were given a compatible metric. If \(f\) is an embedding, then \((X_n,f_n)\) is said to converge exactly, and if in addition to this, \(f\) is a homeomorphism, then \((X_n,f_n)\) is called an internal inverse limit structure on \(X\). Now we may state three of the main results.\smallskip { Theorem 2.2.} Let \(X\) be a metric compactum and \((f_n)\) a sequence of retractions of \(X\) converging uniformly to the identity map on \(X\). Suppose also that: {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize} \item[-] for each \(n\geq1\), \(f_n(X)\subset f_{n+1}(X)\), and \item [-] for all pairs \(m\), \(n\in\mathbb{N}\) with \(m>n\), \(f_n\circ f_m=f_n=f_m\circ f_n\). \end{itemize}} Then the inverse sequence \((f_n(X),f_n|f_{n+1}(X))\) is an internal inverse limit structure on \(X\).\smallskip { Theorem 2.3.} Let \(X\) be a metric compactum and \((f_n)\) a sequence of retractions of \(X\) converging uniformly to the identity map on \(X\). Suppose also that for each \(n\geq1\), \(f_n(X)\subset f_{n+1}(X)\). Then there are a subsequence \((Y_{n_k})\) of \((f_n(X))\) and retractions \(g_k:Y_{n_{k+1}}\to Y_{n_k}\) such that the inverse sequence \((Y_{n_k},g_k)\) is an internal inverse limit structure on \(X\).\smallskip {Theorem 3.4.} Suppose that \(X\) is a metric continuum, and \((G_n)\) is a sequence of graphs in \(X\) each having order at most 3. Suppose also that \((r_n:X\to G_n)\) is a sequence of retractions converging uniformly to the identity map on \(X\). Then \(X\) can be represented as an inverse limit of members of the sequence \((G_n)\) with retractions as bonding maps.\smallskip Some open questions are asked in Section 3.