A finiteness theorem for metric spaces (Q910757)

A function \(\rho\) : [0,R]\(\to [0,\infty)\) is called a contractibility function if \(\rho\) (\(\epsilon)\to 0\) as \(\epsilon\) \(\to 0\) and \(\rho\) (\(\epsilon)\)\(\geq \epsilon\) for all \(\epsilon\). A metric space X is locally geometrically n-connected (resp. contractible) of size \(\rho\) : [0,R]\(\to [0,\infty)\), notation X is \(LGC^ n(\rho)\) (resp. LGC), if for every \(x\in X\) the ball B(x,r) is i-connected, \(0\leq i\leq n\), (resp. contractible) inside B(x,\(\rho\) (r)) for every \(r\in [0,R]\). In his study of hyperspaces, \textit{K. Borsuk} [Fundam. Math. 41, 168-202 (1955; Zbl 0065.381)] investigated metric and topological properties of families of LCG(\(\rho)\) subspaces of a metric space. Define \({\mathcal M}(n,\rho)\) to be the collection of metric spaces that satisfy \(LGC^ n(\rho)\) and have covering dimension \(\leq n\). \textit{M. Gromov} extends the usual definition of the Hausdorff metric to define a metric on \({\mathcal M}(n,\rho)\) which is again called the Hausdorff metric [Lect. Notes Math. 1201, 108-201 (1986; Zbl 0601.53038)]. The following result elucidates the relationship between this metric on \({\mathcal M}(n,\rho)\) and homotopy types: Theorem. There exists \(\epsilon_ 0(n,\rho)\), depending only on n and \(\rho\), such that if \(X,Y\in {\mathcal M}(n,\rho)\) have Hausdorff distance less than \(\epsilon_ 0(n,\rho)\), then X and Y have the same homotopy type. Many other related results and applications are given.