Metric spaces

Content created by Louis Wasserman, malarbol and Fredrik Bakke.

Created on 2024-09-28.
Last modified on 2025-09-02.

module metric-spaces.metric-spaces where
Imports 
open import elementary-number-theory.positive-rational-numbers
open import elementary-number-theory.strict-inequality-rational-numbers

open import foundation.binary-relations
open import foundation.coproduct-types
open import foundation.dependent-pair-types
open import foundation.equivalence-relations
open import foundation.equivalences
open import foundation.function-types
open import foundation.functoriality-dependent-pair-types
open import foundation.identity-types
open import foundation.propositions
open import foundation.sets
open import foundation.subtypes
open import foundation.transport-along-identifications
open import foundation.type-arithmetic-dependent-pair-types
open import foundation.univalence
open import foundation.universe-levels

open import metric-spaces.extensionality-pseudometric-spaces
open import metric-spaces.preimages-rational-neighborhood-relations
open import metric-spaces.pseudometric-spaces
open import metric-spaces.rational-neighborhood-relations
open import metric-spaces.reflexive-rational-neighborhood-relations
open import metric-spaces.saturated-rational-neighborhood-relations
open import metric-spaces.similarity-of-elements-pseudometric-spaces
open import metric-spaces.symmetric-rational-neighborhood-relations
open import metric-spaces.triangular-rational-neighborhood-relations

Idea

A metric space is a type structured with a concept of distance on its elements.

Since we operate in a constructive setting, the concept of distance is captured by considering upper bounds on the distance between points, rather than by a distance function as in the classical approach. Thus, a metric space A is defined by a family of neighborhood relations on it indexed by the positive rational numbers ℚ⁺, a rational neighborhood relation:

  N : ℚ⁺ → A → A → Prop l

that satisfies certain axioms. Constructing a proof of N d x y amounts to saying that d is an upper bound on the distance from x to y.

The neighborhood relation on a metric space must satisfy the following axioms:

  • Reflexivity. Every positive rational d is an upper bound on the distance from x to itself.
  • Symmetry. Any upper bound on the distance from x to y is an upper bound on the distance from y to x.
  • Triangularity. If d is an upper bound on the distance from x to y, and d' is an upper bound on the distance from y to z, then d + d' is an upper bound on the distance from x to z.
  • Saturation.: any neighborhood N d x y contains the intersection of all N d' x y for d < d'.

This gives A the structure of a pseudometric space; finally, we ask that our metric spaces are extensional: similar elements are equal:

  • If every positive rational d is an upper bound on the distance from x to y, then x ＝ y.

Similarity of elements in a metric space characterizes their equality so any metric space is a set.

NB: When working with actual distance functions, the saturation condition always holds, defining N d x y as dist(x , y) ≤ d. Since we’re working with upper bounds on distances, we add this axiom to ensure that the subsets of upper bounds on distances between elements is closed on the left.

Definitions

The type of metric spaces

Metric-Space : (l1 l2 : Level) → UU (lsuc l1 ⊔ lsuc l2)
Metric-Space l1 l2 =
  Σ (Pseudometric-Space l1 l2) (is-extensional-Pseudometric-Space)

module _
  {l1 l2 : Level}
  ( A : UU l1)
  ( N : Rational-Neighborhood-Relation l2 A)
  ( refl-N : is-reflexive-Rational-Neighborhood-Relation N)
  ( symmetric-N : is-symmetric-Rational-Neighborhood-Relation N)
  ( triangular-N : is-triangular-Rational-Neighborhood-Relation N)
  ( saturated-N : is-saturated-Rational-Neighborhood-Relation N)
  ( extensional-N :
    is-extensional-Pseudometric-Space
      ( A , N , refl-N , symmetric-N , triangular-N , saturated-N))
  where

  make-Metric-Space : Metric-Space l1 l2
  pr1 make-Metric-Space =
    (A , N , refl-N , symmetric-N , triangular-N , saturated-N)
  pr2 make-Metric-Space = extensional-N

module _
  {l1 l2 : Level} (M : Metric-Space l1 l2)
  where

  pseudometric-Metric-Space : Pseudometric-Space l1 l2
  pseudometric-Metric-Space = pr1 M

  type-Metric-Space : UU l1
  type-Metric-Space =
    type-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  is-extensional-pseudometric-Metric-Space :
    is-extensional-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space
  is-extensional-pseudometric-Metric-Space = pr2 M

  pseudometric-structure-Metric-Space :
    Pseudometric-Structure l2 type-Metric-Space
  pseudometric-structure-Metric-Space =
    structure-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  neighborhood-prop-Metric-Space :
    ℚ⁺ → Relation-Prop l2 type-Metric-Space
  neighborhood-prop-Metric-Space =
    neighborhood-prop-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  neighborhood-Metric-Space : ℚ⁺ → Relation l2 type-Metric-Space
  neighborhood-Metric-Space =
    neighborhood-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  is-prop-neighborhood-Metric-Space :
    (d : ℚ⁺) (x y : type-Metric-Space) →
    is-prop (neighborhood-Metric-Space d x y)
  is-prop-neighborhood-Metric-Space =
    is-prop-neighborhood-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  is-upper-bound-dist-prop-Metric-Space :
    (x y : type-Metric-Space) → ℚ⁺ → Prop l2
  is-upper-bound-dist-prop-Metric-Space x y d =
    neighborhood-prop-Metric-Space d x y

  is-upper-bound-dist-Metric-Space :
    (x y : type-Metric-Space) → ℚ⁺ → UU l2
  is-upper-bound-dist-Metric-Space x y d =
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d x y

  is-prop-is-upper-bound-dist-Metric-Space :
    (x y : type-Metric-Space) (d : ℚ⁺) →
    is-prop (is-upper-bound-dist-Metric-Space x y d)
  is-prop-is-upper-bound-dist-Metric-Space x y d =
    is-prop-neighborhood-Metric-Space d x y

  is-pseudometric-neighborhood-Metric-Space :
    is-pseudometric-Rational-Neighborhood-Relation
      type-Metric-Space
      neighborhood-prop-Metric-Space
  is-pseudometric-neighborhood-Metric-Space =
    is-pseudometric-neighborhood-Pseudometric-Space
      pseudometric-Metric-Space

  refl-neighborhood-Metric-Space :
    (d : ℚ⁺) (x : type-Metric-Space) →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d x x
  refl-neighborhood-Metric-Space =
    refl-neighborhood-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  symmetric-neighborhood-Metric-Space :
    (d : ℚ⁺) (x y : type-Metric-Space) →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d x y →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d y x
  symmetric-neighborhood-Metric-Space =
    symmetric-neighborhood-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  inv-neighborhood-Metric-Space :
    {d : ℚ⁺} {x y : type-Metric-Space} →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d x y →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d y x
  inv-neighborhood-Metric-Space =
    inv-neighborhood-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  triangular-neighborhood-Metric-Space :
    (x y z : type-Metric-Space) (d₁ d₂ : ℚ⁺) →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d₂ y z →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d₁ x y →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space (d₁ +ℚ⁺ d₂) x z
  triangular-neighborhood-Metric-Space =
    triangular-neighborhood-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  monotonic-neighborhood-Metric-Space :
    (x y : type-Metric-Space) (d₁ d₂ : ℚ⁺) →
    le-ℚ⁺ d₁ d₂ →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d₁ x y →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d₂ x y
  monotonic-neighborhood-Metric-Space =
    monotonic-neighborhood-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  weakly-monotonic-neighborhood-Metric-Space :
    (x y : type-Metric-Space) (d₁ d₂ : ℚ⁺) →
    leq-ℚ⁺ d₁ d₂ →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d₁ x y →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space d₂ x y
  weakly-monotonic-neighborhood-Metric-Space =
    weakly-monotonic-neighborhood-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

  saturated-neighborhood-Metric-Space :
    (ε : ℚ⁺) (x y : type-Metric-Space) →
    ((δ : ℚ⁺) → neighborhood-Metric-Space (ε +ℚ⁺ δ) x y) →
    neighborhood-Metric-Space ε x y
  saturated-neighborhood-Metric-Space =
    saturated-neighborhood-Pseudometric-Space pseudometric-Metric-Space

Similarity of elements in a metric space

module _
  {l1 l2 : Level} (A : Metric-Space l1 l2)
  where

  sim-prop-Metric-Space : Relation-Prop l2 (type-Metric-Space A)
  sim-prop-Metric-Space =
    sim-prop-Pseudometric-Space (pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

  sim-Metric-Space : Relation l2 (type-Metric-Space A)
  sim-Metric-Space =
    sim-Pseudometric-Space (pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

  is-prop-sim-Metric-Space :
    (x y : type-Metric-Space A) →
    is-prop (sim-Metric-Space x y)
  is-prop-sim-Metric-Space =
    is-prop-sim-Pseudometric-Space (pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

  refl-sim-Metric-Space :
    (x : type-Metric-Space A) →
    sim-Metric-Space x x
  refl-sim-Metric-Space =
    refl-sim-Pseudometric-Space (pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

  sim-eq-Metric-Space :
    (x y : type-Metric-Space A) →
    x ＝ y →
    sim-Metric-Space x y
  sim-eq-Metric-Space =
    sim-eq-Pseudometric-Space (pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

  symmetric-sim-Metric-Space :
    (x y : type-Metric-Space A) →
    sim-Metric-Space x y →
    sim-Metric-Space y x
  symmetric-sim-Metric-Space =
    symmetric-sim-Pseudometric-Space (pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

  inv-sim-Metric-Space :
    {x y : type-Metric-Space A} →
    sim-Metric-Space x y →
    sim-Metric-Space y x
  inv-sim-Metric-Space {x} {y} =
    inv-sim-Pseudometric-Space (pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

  transitive-sim-Metric-Space :
    (x y z : type-Metric-Space A) →
    sim-Metric-Space y z →
    sim-Metric-Space x y →
    sim-Metric-Space x z
  transitive-sim-Metric-Space =
    transitive-sim-Pseudometric-Space (pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

  equivalence-relation-sim-Metric-Space :
    equivalence-relation l2 (type-Metric-Space A)
  equivalence-relation-sim-Metric-Space =
    equivalence-relation-sim-Pseudometric-Space (pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

Properties

The carrier type of a metric space is a set

module _
  {l1 l2 : Level} (A : Metric-Space l1 l2)
  where

  is-set-type-Metric-Space : is-set (type-Metric-Space A)
  is-set-type-Metric-Space =
    is-set-type-is-extensional-Pseudometric-Space
      ( pseudometric-Metric-Space A)
      ( is-extensional-pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

  set-Metric-Space : Set l1
  set-Metric-Space =
    (type-Metric-Space A , is-set-type-Metric-Space)

Similarity of elements in a metric space is equivalent to equality

module _
  {l1 l2 : Level} (A : Metric-Space l1 l2)
  where

  equiv-sim-eq-Metric-Space :
    (x y : type-Metric-Space A) →
    (x ＝ y) ≃ sim-Metric-Space A x y
  equiv-sim-eq-Metric-Space =
    equiv-sim-eq-is-extensional-Pseudometric-Space
      ( pseudometric-Metric-Space A)
      ( is-extensional-pseudometric-Metric-Space A)

  eq-sim-Metric-Space :
    (x y : type-Metric-Space A) →
    sim-Metric-Space A x y →
    x ＝ y
  eq-sim-Metric-Space x y =
    map-inv-equiv (equiv-sim-eq-Metric-Space x y)

See also

  • Metric spaces that are defined by a distance function are defined in Metrics.

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