Metrizable uniform spaces

Abstract

Three themes of general topology: quotient spaces; absolute retracts; and inverse limits - are reapproached here in the setting of metrizable uniform spaces, with an eye to applications in geometric and algebraic topology. The results include: 1) If f: A -> Y is a uniformly continuous map, where X and Y are metric spaces and A is a closed subset of X, we show that the adjunction space X\cup_f Y with the quotient uniformity (hence also with the topology thereof) is metrizable, by an explicit metric. This yields natural constructions of cone, join and mapping cylinder in the category of metrizable uniform spaces, which we show to coincide with those based on subspace (of a normed linear space); on product (with a cone); and on the isotropy of the l_2 metric. 2) We revisit Isbell's theory of uniform ANRs, as refined by Garg and Nhu in the metrizable case. The iterated loop spaces Ω^n P of a pointed compact polyhedron P are shown to be uniform ANRs. Four characterizations of uniform ANRs among metrizable uniform spaces X are given: (i) the completion of X is a uniform ANR, and the remainder is uniformly a Z-set in the completion; (ii) X is uniformly locally contractible and satisfies the Hahn approximation property; (iii) X is uniformly ε-homotopy dominated by a uniform ANR for each ε>0; (iv) X is an inverse limit of uniform ANRs with "nearly splitting" bonding maps. Several chapters are devoted primarily to exposition: (I) an introduction to uniform spaces, with a focus on the metrizable case; (V) the space of measurable functions; (VI) the space of probability measures and other measure spaces.