Mapping $n$ grid points onto a square forces an arbitrarily large Lipschitz constant

Abstract

We prove that the regular $n\times n$ square grid of points in the integer lattice $\mathbb{Z}^{2}$ cannot be recovered from an arbitrary $n^{2}$-element subset of $\mathbb{Z}^{2}$ via a mapping with prescribed Lipschitz constant (independent of $n$). This answers negatively a question of Feige from 2002. Our resolution of Feige's question takes place largely in a continuous setting and is based on some new results for Lipschitz mappings falling into two broad areas of interest, which we study independently. Firstly the present work contains a detailed investigation of Lipschitz regular mappings on Euclidean spaces, with emphasis on their bilipschitz decomposability in a sense comparable to that of the well known result of Jones. Secondly, we build on work of Burago and Kleiner and McMullen on non-realisable densities. We verify the existence, and further prevalence, of strongly non-realisable densities inside spaces of continuous functions.