11.

Banach Fixed Point Theorem

MAU22200 - Advanced Analysis

https://www.maths.tcd.ie/∼zaitsev/Adv-2020
Dmitri Zaitsev zaitsev@maths.tcd.ie

Dmitri Zaitsev (Trinity College Dublin) 11. Banach Fixed Point Theorem 1/4
 Definition
A map f : X → X from a metric space into itself is called a contraction if
there exists 0 ≤ c < 1 with

d(f (x), f (y )) ≤ c · d(x, y ) ∀x, y ∈ X .

A contraction is always Lipschitz and hence continuous.

Theorem (Banach Fixed Point Theorem)

If f : X → X is a contraction of a complete metric space, it has a unique
fixed point, i.e. a point x ∈ X with f (x) = x.

Example
The map f (x) = x/2 defines a contraction f : (0, 1) → (0, 1) but has no
fixed points in the interval (0, 1), since the only solution of f (x) = x is
x =0∈ / (0, 1). Note that (0, 1) is not complete, and this example shows
that the completeness assumption cannot be removed from Banach’s
theorem.
Dmitri Zaitsev (Trinity College Dublin) 11. Banach Fixed Point Theorem 2/4
 Theorem (Banach Fixed Point Theorem)
If f : X → X is a contraction of a complete metric space, it has a unique
fixed point, i.e. a point x ∈ X with f (x) = x.

Proof - existence of a fixed point.

Take any x0 ∈ X and define inductively the sequence xn+1 := f (xn ) for
n ≥ 0. The contraction property d(f (x), f (y )) ≤ c · d(x, y ) implies

d(xj , xj+1 ) ≤ c · d(xj−1 , xj ) ≤ . . . ≤ c j · d(x0 , x1 ) =⇒

d(xn , xn+k ) ≤ d(xn , xn+1 ) + . . . + d(xn+k−1 , xn+k )
P∞ j cn
≤ ( n+k j
P
j=n c ) · d(x0 , x1 ) ≤ ( j=n c ) · d(x0 , x1 ) ≤ 1−c d(x0 , x1 ).

Since c n → 0, n → ∞, ∀ε > 0 ∃N ∀n ≥ N, k ≥ 1 d(xn , xn+k ) < ε, hence

(xn ) is Cauchy. Since X is complete, (xn ) converges to some y ∈ X , and

xn+1 = f (xn ) =⇒ y = f (y )

by the continuity of f .
Dmitri Zaitsev (Trinity College Dublin) 11. Banach Fixed Point Theorem 3/4
Banach Fixed Point Theorem - Proof of Uniqueness

Theorem (Banach Fixed Point Theorem)

If f : X → X is a contraction of a complete metric space, it has a unique
fixed point, i.e. a point x ∈ X with f (x) = x.

Proof - uniqueness.
If x, y ∈ X are fixed points of f , i.e.

f (x) = x, f (y ) = y ,

the contraction property d(f (x), f (y )) ≤ c · d(x, y ) implies

d(x, y ) = d(f (x), f (y )) ≤ c · d(x, y ) =⇒ (1 − c)d(x, y ) ≤ 0.

Since 0 ≤ c < 1, we must have d(x, y ) = 0 =⇒ x = y .

Dmitri Zaitsev (Trinity College Dublin) 11. Banach Fixed Point Theorem 4/4