Exercise 1.

(ii) Let M = R2 . Show that for A, B in R2


euk (A, B),if 0 is on the line between A and B,
d
dp (A, B) = 
deuk (A, 0) + deuk (0, B), otherwise

defines a metric, where deuk (A, B) is the Euclidean metric. Show also that this metric
can not be induced by a norm.

Solution:
Part 1: (M = R2 , dp (, )) is a metric space.
Let A, B and C be in R2 .

(i) Note that for any A, B in R2 , deuk (A, B) ≥ 0 and finite. Hence, dp is nonnegative and finite.

(ii) Suppose that dp (A, B) = 0. For deuk (A, B) = 0, we have A = B. If deuk (A, 0)+deuk (0, B) = 0,
then A = 0 and B = 0, thus A = B.
Suppose that A = B. Then either A = B = 0 or A = B 6= 0. For A = B = 0, dp (A, B) =
deuk (A, B) = 0. For A = B 6= 0, dp (A, B) = deuk (A, 0) + deuk (0, B) = 0.

(iii) Notice that for dp (A, B) = deuk (A, B), deuk (A, B) = deuk (B, A). Hence, in this case dp (A, B) =
dp (B, A). For dp (A, B) = deuk (A, 0) + deuk (0, B), deuk (A, 0) + deuk (0, B) = deuk (B, 0) +
deuk (0, A). Thus, in this case dp (A, B) = dp (B, A).

(iv) We now show that dp (A, B) ≤ dp (A, C) + dp (C, B).

Case 1: 0 is on AB.
Subcase 1: C is on AB.
Without loss of generality assume that 0 is on AC. Then

dp (A, B) = deuk (A, B)

≤ deuk (A, C) + deuk (C, B)
≤ deuk (A, C) + (deuk (C, 0) + deuk (0, B))
= dp (A, C) + dp (C, B).

Subcase 2: C is not on AB.

Then

dp (A, B) = deuk (A, B)

≤ deuk (A, C) + deuk (C, B)
≤ (deuk (A, 0) + deuk (0, C)) + (deuk (C, 0) + deuk (0, B))
= dp (A, C) + dp (C, B).

Case 2: 0 is not on AB.

1
 Then
dp (A, B) = (deuk (A, 0) + deuk (0, B))
≤ ((deuk (A, 0) + deuk (0, C))) + ((deuk (C, 0) + deuk (0, B)))
= dp (A, C) + dp (C, B).
That is, in all cases the triangle inequality holds. From (i) to (iv), (M = R2 , dp (, )) is a
metric space.
Part 2: dp can not be induced by a norm.
Given a normed space (X, k · k), the induced metric d(x, y) = kx − yk is translation invariant,
that is given a ∈ X, d(a + x, a + y) = d(x, y). This is the case because,
d(a + x, a + y) = k(a + x) − (a + y)k = kx − yk = d(x, y).
Now, take A = (−1, 0) and B = (1, 0). Since 0 is on AB, dp (A, B) = 2. With C = (0, 1), we have
A + C = (−1, 1) and A + B = (1, 1). So that,
√
dp (A + C, A + B) = deuk (A + C, 0) + deuk (A + B, 0) = 2 2 > 2.
That is, dp is not translation invariant and hence can not be induced by a norm.
Exercise 1.4

(i) Give an example of a metric space (M, d), with

Br (x) ( {y ∈ M |d(x, y) ≤ r},
for suitable x ∈ M , r > 0.

Solution:
Let X be any set and define a metric

0, ifx = y,
d(x, y) =
1, ifx 6= y.

That is, (X, d(, )) is the discrete metric space. Let x ∈ X and r = 1, then
B1 (x) = {y ∈ X|d(x, y) < 1} = {y ∈ X|d(x, y) = 0} = {x}.
Also,
{y ∈ X|d(x, y) ≤ 1} = {y ∈ X|d(x, y) = 0} ∪ {y ∈ X|d(x, y) = 1}
= {x} ∪ y ∈ X|x 6= y
= {x} ∪ {x}c
= X.
An alternative definition for the closure of B1 (x) is given by,
B1 (x) = {y ∈ X|∀ > 0, B (y) ∩ B1 (x) 6= ∅}.
Then, x ∈ B1 (x). Let y ∈ X with y 6= x. For  = 1, B1 (y) = {y}. Since y 6= x, B1 (y) ∩ B1 (x) = ∅.
Hence, B1 (x) = {x}. Therefore, B1 (x) ( {y ∈ X|d(x, y) ≤ 1}.