We survey problems and results from combinatorial geometry in normed spaces, concentrating on problems that involve distances. These include various properties of unit-distance graphs, minimum-distance graphs, diameter graphs, as well as minimum spanning trees and Steiner minimum trees. In particular, we discuss translative kissing (or Hadwiger) numbers, equilateral sets, and the Borsuk problem in normed spaces. We show how to use the angular measure of Peter Brass to prove various statements about Hadwiger and blocking numbers of convex bodies in the plane, including some new results. We also include some new results on thin cones and their application to distinct distances and other combinatorial problems for normed spaces.

Combinatorial distance geometry in normed spaces

We show that for \"most\" compact non metrizable spaces, the unit ball of the Banach space C(K) contains an uncountable 2-equilateral set. We also give examples of compact non metrizable spaces K such that the minimum cardinality of a maximal equilateral set in C(K) is countable.

Equilateral sets in Banach spaces of the form C(K)

The paper is concerned with the problem whether a nonseparable Banach space must contain an uncountable set of vectors such that the distances between every two distinct vectors of the set are the same. Such sets are called equilateral. We show that Martin’s axiom and the negation of the continuum hypothesis imply that every nonseparable Banach space of the form C(K) has an uncountable equilateral set. We also show that one cannot obtain such a result without an additional set-theoretic assumption since we construct an example of nonseparable Banach space of the form C(K) which has no uncountable equilateral set (or equivalently no uncountable (1+e)-separated set in the unit sphere for any e > 0) making another consistent combinatorial assumption. The compact K is a version of the split interval obtained from a sequence of functions which behave in an anti-Ramsey manner. It remains open if there is an absolute example of a nonseparable Banach space of the form different than C(K) which has no uncountable equilateral set. It follows from the results of S. Mercourakis and G. Vassiliadis that our example has an equivalent renorming in which it has an uncountable equilateral set. It remains open if there are consistent examples of nonseparable Banach spaces which have no uncountable equilateral sets in any equivalent renorming but it follows from the results of S. Todorcevic that it is consistent that every nonseparable Banach space has an equivalent renorming in which it has an uncountable equilateral set.

Uncountable equilateral sets in Banach spaces of the form $C(K)$

The paper elucidates the relationship between the density of a Banach space and possible sizes of well-separated subsets of its unit sphere. For example, it is proved that for a large enough space $X$, the unit sphere $S_X$ always contains an uncountable $(1+)$-separated subset. In order to achieve this, new results concerning the existence of large Auerbach systems are established that happen to be sharp for the class of WLD spaces, as witnessed by a renorming of $c_0(\omega_1)$ without uncountable Auerbach systems. The following optimal results for the classes of, respectively, reflexive and super-reflexive spaces are established: the unit sphere of an infinite-dimensional reflexive space contains a symmetrically $(1+\varepsilon)$-separated subset of any regular cardinality not exceeding the density of $X$; should the space $X$ be super-reflexive, the unit sphere of $X$ contains such a subset of cardinality equal to the density of $X$. The said problem is studied for other classes of spaces too, including the RNP spaces or strictly convex ones.

Separated sets and Auerbach systems in Banach spaces

The paper is concerned with the problem whether a nonseparable Banach space must contain an uncountable set of vectors such that the distances between every two distinct vectors of the set are the same. Such sets are called equilateral. We show that Martin's axiom and the negation of the continuum hypothesis imply that every nonseparable Banach space of the form $C(K)$ has an uncountable equilateral set. We also show that one cannot obtain such a result without an additional set-theoretic assumption since we construct an example of nonseparable Banach space of the form $C(K)$ which has no uncountable equilateral set (or equivalently no uncountable $(1+\varepsilon)$-separated set in the unit sphere for any $\varepsilon>0$) making another consistent combinatorial assumption. 
The compact $K$ is a version of the split interval obtained from a sequence of functions which behave in an anti-Ramsey manner. It remains open if there is an absolute example of a nonseparable Banach space of the form different than $C(K)$ which has no uncountable equilateral set. It follows from the results of S. Mercourakis, G. Vassiliadis that our example has an equivalent renorming in which it has an uncountable equilateral set. It remains open if there are consistent examples which have no uncountable equilateral sets in any equivalent renorming but it follows from the results of S. Todorcevic that it is consistent that every nonseparable Banach space has an equivalent renorming in which it has an uncountable equilateral set.

We show that every Banach space $X$ containing an isomorphic copy of $c_0$ has an infinite equilateral set and also that if $X$ has a bounded biorthogonal system of size $\alpha$ then it can be renormed so as to admit an equilateral set of equal size. If $K$ is any compact non metrizable space, then under a certain combinatorial condition on $K$ the Banach space $C(K)$ has an uncountable equilateral set.

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S. K. Mercourakis

Papers

Equilateral sets in infinite dimensional Banach spaces

Equilateral sets in infinite dimensional Banach spaces