Diameter of a Set

The diameter of A ,denoted by d(A) or δ(A)

is given by d(A)=sup{d(x,y):x,y∈A}
• Theorem: Let (X,d) is a metric space and
• A,B ⊂X . Then:
• (a) x∈A ,y∈B ⇨ d(A,B)≤d(x,y)
• Proof: Since d(A,B)=inf {d(a,b): a∈A, b∈B}
• so d(A,B)≤d(a,b) for all a∈A, b∈B
• ⇨d(A,B)≤d(x,y)
• (b) x∈ A ⇔d({x},A)=0
• Proof: x∈ A ⇔x∈A or x∈A′
• ⇔ d({x},A)=0
• (c) d ( A, B)  d ( A, B)
• Let ρ=d(A,B)
• As d ( A, B) =inf {d(x,y);x∈ A ,y∈ B }
• So d ( A, B) ≤ρ
• Let a ∈ A , b∈ B .Let ℰ>0 Then ∃ a′∈A,b′∈B
such that d(a,a′)<ℰ and d(b,b′)<ℰ.
• Now d(a′,b′)≤d(a′,a)+d(a,b′)
• ≤d(a′,a)+d(a,b)+d(b,b′)
• ≤ℰ+d(a,b)+ℰ= d(a,b)+2ℰ
• As a′∈A,b′∈B ,so ρ≤ d(a′,b′) .
• Hence ρ ≤ d(a,b)+2ℰ.
• Since ℰ>0 is arbitrary , so ρ ≤ d(a,b)
• ⇨ ρ≤ d ( A, B)
• Thus d ( A, B)  d ( A, B)
• (d) d(A)=0 ⇔A contains atmost one point.
• Proof: if A=∅ ,then d(A)=0
• If A={a} then d(A)=sup{ d(a,b):a,b ∈A}
=d(a,a)=0
• If A={a,b} ,then d(A)=d(a,b)>0.
• So d(A)=0 ⇔A contains atmost one point.
• (e) A⊂B ⇨d(A)≤d(B)
• Proof: Suppose that A⊂B.
• For x,y∈ A , we have also x,y ∈B
• So d(x,y)≤d(B) for all x,y∈A
• ⇨sup{d(x,y): x,y∈A}≤d(B)
• ⇨d(A)≤d(B)
• (f) d ( A)  d ( A)
• Let ℰ>0.If x ,y ∈ A ,then ∃ exists x′,y′ ∈A
• Such that d(x,x′)<∈ and d(y,y′)<∈
• Now d(x′,y′)≤d(x′,x)+d(x,y)+d(y,y′)
• ⇨ d(x′,y′)≤ℰ+d(x,y)+ℰ
• ⇨ d(x′,y′)≤d(x,y)+2ℰ
• As ℰ>0 is arbitrary , so d(x′,y′)≤d(x,y)
• ⇨ d(x′,y′)≤d(x,y) for all x,y∈ A
• ⇨ d(x′,y′)≤sup{d(x,y): x,y∈ A }
• ⇨ d(x′,y′)≤d( A)
• Taking supremum in the left side over A, we
obtain sup{d(x′,y′):x′,y′∈A}≤d( A )
• so d(A)≤d( A )
• Similarly,
• d(x,y)≤d(x,x′)+d(x′,y′)+d(y′,y)
• ≤2ℰ+d(x′,y′)
• As ℰ>0 is arbitrary,
• so d(x,y)≤d(x′,y′) x′,y′∈A
• ⇨d(x,y)≤sup{d(x′,y′): x′,y′∈A}
• ⇨d(x,y)≤d(A)
• Taking supremum in LHS over A ,we obtain
• sup{d(x,y):x,y∈ A }≤d(A)⇨d( A )
• Thus d(A)=d( A )
• (g) A∩B≠∅ ⇨d(A⋃B)≤d(A)+d(B)
• let x,y∈A⋃B. AS A∩B≠∅ ,so we can get
element in A∩B.
• .For fixed z∈ A∩B,
• d(x,y)≤d(x,z)+d(z,y)
• ≤d(A)+d(B)
• Taking supremum of the LHS over A⋃B,we
obtain d(A⋃B)≤d(A)+d(B)
• So d(A⋃B)≤d(A)+d(B)
•
• Remarks: If the condition A∩B≠∅ is
supressed , then one may have
• d(A⋃B)>d(A)+d(B)
• Example: Take A=(1,3) B=[5,10]
• Then d(A)=2 ,d(B)=5,d(A⋃B)=9
• So d(A⋃B)>d(A)+d(B)
• (h) x∈A ,y∈B ⇨d(x,y)≤d(A⋃B)
• Clearly for x∈A ,y∈B ,
• d(x,y)≤ sup{d(a,b): a∈A ,b∈B }
• ⇨d(x,y)≤d(A⋃B)
(i) d(A⋃B)≤d(A)+d(A,B)+d(B)
Proof:
Let x,y∈A⋃B
Case-1 x,y∈A
Then d(x,y)≤sup{d(a,b):a,b∈A}=d(A)
⇨d(x,y) ≤d(A)+d(A,B)+d(B)
Case-2. x,y∈B
Then d(x,y)≤sup{d(a,b):a,b∈B}=d(B)
⇨d(x,y) ≤d(A)+d(A,B)+d(B)
• Case-3 Let x∈A,y∈B.
• For any a∈A,b∈B , we have
• d(x,y)≤ d(x,a)+d(a,b)+d(b,y)
• ≤d(A)+d(a,b)+d(B)
• Case-4Let x∈B,y∈A.
• For any a∈A,b∈B , we have
• d(x,y)≤ d(x,b)+d(b,a)+d(a,y)
• ≤d(B)+d(a,b)+d(A)
• So in all cases ,we have,
• d(x,y) ≤ d(A)+d(a,b)+d(B)
• d(x,y) ≤ d(A)+d(a,b)+d(B) for x,y ∈A⋃B
• As a∈A,b∈B are arbitrary,so
• d(x,y) ≤ d(A)+d(A,B)+d(B)
• Which is an upper bound of the set
• {d(x,y): x,y ∈A⋃B}
• Thus
sup {d(x,y): x,y ∈A⋃B} ≤ d(A)+d(A,B)+d(B)
⇨ d(A⋃B) ≤ d(A)+d(A,B)+d(B)