A theorem of Hrushovski-Solecki-Vershik applied to uniform and coarse embeddings of the Urysohn metric space (Q935258)

Let \(\mathbf U\) be the universal Urysohn metric space [going back to \textit{P. S. Urysohn}, Bull.\ Sci.\ Math.\ 51, 43--64, 74--90 (1927; JFM 53.0556.01)]. The main results of the paper are the following. (1) \(\mathbf U\) is not uniformly embeddable into a uniformly convex Banach space. (2) \(\mathbf U\) is not coarsely embeddable into a uniformly convex Banach space. Recently, stronger versions of these results were obtained: \textit{N. J. Kalton} [Q.\ J.\ Math.\ 58, No.\,~3, 393--414 (2007; Zbl 1148.46046)] proved that the Banach space \(c_0\) is neither coarsely nor uniformly embeddable into a reflexive Banach space. \textit{V.\,Lafforgue} [Duke Math.\ J.\ 143, No.\,3, 559--602 (2008; Zbl 1158.46049)] proved that there exists a metric space with bounded geometry which is not coarsely embeddable into a uniformly convex Banach space. However, the results of the present paper are obtained using a quite different and quite interesting method. It is based on the fact that the group of isometries of \(\mathbf U\) contains a dense locally finite subgroup. The author combines this fact with his observation that a locally finite group of isometries of a metric space \(M\) can be `lifted' into the group of isometries of an ultraproduct of a Banach space into which \(M\) is coarsely or uniformly embeddable.