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Theory of Statistics - George Mason University

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618 0 Statistical Mathematics<br />

The structure (Ω, ρ) is called a metric space.<br />

A common example <strong>of</strong> a metric space is the set IR together with ρ(x, y) =<br />

|x − y|, where | · | denotes the ordinary absolute value.<br />

The concept <strong>of</strong> a metric allows us to redefine the topological properties<br />

introduced above in terms <strong>of</strong> the metric. The definitions in terms <strong>of</strong> a metric<br />

are generally more useful, and also a metric allows us to define additional<br />

important properties, such as continuity. Rather than define special sets for<br />

general metric spaces here, we will discuss these sets and their properties in<br />

the context <strong>of</strong> IR in Section 0.0.5.<br />

0.0.2.7 Neighborhoods Defined by Metrics<br />

We have defined neighborhoods in general topological spaces, but the concept<br />

<strong>of</strong> a metric allows us to give a more useful definition <strong>of</strong> a neighborhood <strong>of</strong> a<br />

point in a set. For a point x ∈ Ω, a metric ρ on Ω, and any positive number ɛ,<br />

an ɛ-neighborhood <strong>of</strong> x, denoted by Nρ(x, ɛ), is the set <strong>of</strong> y ∈ Ω whose distance<br />

from x is less than ɛ; that is,<br />

Nρ(x, ɛ) def<br />

= {y : ρ(x, y) < ɛ}. (0.0.9)<br />

Notice that the meaning <strong>of</strong> a neighborhood depends on the metric, but in<br />

any case it is an open set, in the sense made more precise below. Usually, we<br />

assume that a metric is given and just denote the neighborhood as N(x, ɛ)<br />

or, with the size in place <strong>of</strong> the metric, as Nɛ(x). We also <strong>of</strong>ten refer to some<br />

(unspecified) ɛ-neighborhood <strong>of</strong> x just as a “neighborhood” and denote it as<br />

N(x).<br />

The concept <strong>of</strong> a neighborhood allows us to give a more meaningful definition<br />

<strong>of</strong> open sets and to define such things as continuity. These definitions are<br />

consistent with the definitions <strong>of</strong> the same concepts in a general topological<br />

space, as discussed above.<br />

Theorem 0.0.2 Every metric space is a Hausdorff space.<br />

Pro<strong>of</strong>. Exercise.<br />

0.0.2.8 Open and Closed Sets in a Metric Space<br />

The specification <strong>of</strong> a topology defines the open sets <strong>of</strong> the structure and<br />

consequently neighborhoods <strong>of</strong> points. It is <strong>of</strong>ten a more useful approach,<br />

however, first to define a metric, then to define neighborhoods as above, and<br />

finally to define open sets in terms <strong>of</strong> neighborhoods. In this approach, a<br />

subset G <strong>of</strong> Ω is said to be open if each member <strong>of</strong> G has a neighborhood that<br />

is contained in G.<br />

Note that with each metric space (Ω, ρ), we can associate a topological<br />

space (Ω, T ), where T is the collection <strong>of</strong> open sets in (Ω, ρ) that are defined<br />

<strong>Theory</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Statistics</strong> c○2000–2013 James E. Gentle

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