The Discrete Metric Space

Miliyon T.
April 16, 2016

Abstract

A counter example is crucial in mathematics. A discrete metric space appears as a

counter example here and there in analysis. In this concise paper, with all our eorts
starting with denitions we try to look at some basic results on discrete metric space.

Introduction

Definition 1.1. A metric on a non-empty set X is a function d : X X R satisfying

1. d(x, y) 0 and d(x, y) = 0 i x = y.
2. d(x, y) = d(y, x),

x, y X.

3. d(x, z) d(x, y) + d(y, z),

x, y, z X.

(Positive denite)
(Symmetry)
(Triangle inequality)

The couple (X, d) is called a metric space1 . The above three properties are called metric
axioms.
Definition 1.2 (Discrete metric). Given an arbitrary set X for any two points x, y of X

the discrete metric dened as follows

d(x, y) =


1

if x 6= y
if x = y

Definition 1.3 (Convergence). Let (X, d) be a metric space. A sequence (xn ) X converges to an element x X if for all > 0 there exists an N N such that d(xn , x) <
whenever n N.
1 A generalization of a metric space is a pseudo

metric space(semi-metric space) in which the distance

between two distinct points can be zero. The denition of a pseudo metric space is similar to metric space
except the rst axiom is replaced by the weaker axiom: d(x, x) = 0. The set of all Lebesgue measurable
function on [0, 1] with
Z1

|(f g)(x)|dx

d(f, g) =
0

is one example of pseudo metric space.

Definition 1.4 (Cauchy sequence). A sequence in a metric space (X, d) is a Cauchy sequence if for all > 0 there exists an N N such that d(xn , xm ) < whenever n, m N.
Definition 1.5 (Complete). A metric space (X, d) is called complete if every Cauchy
sequence in X converges to an element of X.
Definition 1.6 (Dense). A subset A of X is dense in X if the closure of A is X.
Definition 1.7 (Separable). A space X is separable if it admits countable dense subset.
Definition 1.8 (Norm). A Normed Space is a pair (X, || ||). X is vector space with a norm.
The norm is a real-valued function on X and satises for all x, y X and R or C,
1. ||x|| 0, and ||x|| = 0 x = 0,

(Positive)
(Homogeneous)
(Triangle inequality)

2. ||x|| = ||||x||,
3. ||x + y|| ||x|| + ||y||,
Remark

given by

1.9. A normed space is also a metric space. A metric d induced by the norm is
d(x, y) = ||x y||.

But every metric space is not normed see proposition (2.2).

Basic Result

Theorem 2.1.

Discrete metric is indeed a metric.

To show d is a metric on X. We want to show that d satises the following

three properties:

Solution.

(i) Positive denite: By denition d(x, y) 0 and d(x, y) = 0 x = y.

(ii) Symmetry:
d(x, y) =


1
0

if x 6= y
if x = y


1
0

if y 6= x
if y = x

(iii) Triangle inequality: For all x, y and z in X,

If x = y or y = z then d(x, z) = d(x, y) + d(y, z).
Suppose, then , that x 6= y and y 6= z, then we have
d(x, y) + d(y, z) = 2 > d(x, z).
Using (i),(ii) and (iii), we conclude that d is a metric on X.

= d(y, x)

Proposition 2.2.

For a vector space

X 6= {0}

a discrete metric on

is not normed.

We know that the discrete metric only takes values of 1 and 0. Now suppose it
comes from some norm ||.||. Then for any in the underlying eld of your vector space
and x, y X, you must have that
Proof.

k(x y)k = || kx yk.

But now ||x y|| is a xed number and I can make arbitrarily large and consequently
the discrete metric does not come from any norm on X.
Theorem 2.3.
Proof.

The discrete metric space is complete

If {xn } is cauchy,then for every > 0 there exists an N N such that

d(xm , xn ) <

whenever n, m > N

Now take = 12 , then there exists an N such that

d(xm , xn ) <

1
2

whenever n, m > N

(1)

But d is a discrete metric, so (1) holds only if xm = xn for n, m > N. Thus, any Cauchy
sequence in the discrete space is eventually constant(i.e. constant from some term on).
Hence convergent.
Theorem 2.4.

The discrete metric space is separable if and only if

is countable.

Suppose M X, to show M 6= X take x X \ M.

Clearly d(x, m) = 1, for any m M (since d is discrete). So if we choose any neighbourhood of x with radius less than 1. This neighbourhood doesn't contain a point of M. This
implies x is not a limit point of M.
Therefore M 6= X, hence X does not contain a dense subset.
Proof.

References
[1] Mcheal o Searcoid, Metric Spaces.
[2] [Seymour Lipschutz] Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Genereal Topology,
McGraw-Hill, New York, 1965.