Measured descent: A new embedding method for finite metrics

We devise a new embedding technique, which we call measured descent, based on decomposing a metric space locally, at varying speeds, according to the density of some probability measure. This provides a refined and unified framework for the two primary methods of constructing Frechet embeddings for finite metrics, due to [Bourgain, 1985] and [Rao, 1999]. We prove that any n-point metric space (X,d) embeds in Hilbert space with distortion O(sqrt{alpha_X log n}), where alpha_X is a geometric estimate on the decomposability of X. As an immediate corollary, we obtain an O(sqrt{(log lambda_X) \log n}) distortion embedding, where \lambda_X is the doubling constant of X. Since \lambda_X\le n, this result recovers Bourgain's theorem, but when the metric X is, in a sense, ``low-dimensional,'' improved bounds are achieved. Our embeddings are volume-respecting for subsets of arbitrary size. One consequence is the existence of (k, O(log n)) volume-respecting embeddings for all 1 \leq k \leq n, which is the best possible, and answers positively a question posed by U. Feige. Our techniques are also used to answer positively a question of Y. Rabinovich, showing that any weighted n-point planar graph embeds in l_\infty^{O(log n)} with O(1) distortion. The O(log n) bound on the dimension is optimal, and improves upon the previously known bound of O((log n)^2).Comment: 17 pages. No figures. Appeared in FOCS '04. To appeaer in Geometric & Functional Analysis. This version fixes a subtle error in Section 2.

Sublinear Higson corona and Lipschitz extensions

The purpose of the paper is to characterize the dimension of sublinear Higson corona $\nu_L(X)$ of $X$ in terms of Lipschitz extensions of functions: Theorem: Suppose $(X,d)$ is a proper metric space. The dimension of the sublinear Higson corona $\nu_L(X)$ of $X$ is the smallest integer $m\ge 0$ with the following property: Any norm-preserving asymptotically Lipschitz function $f'\colon A\to \R^{m+1}$, $A\subset X$, extends to a norm-preserving asymptotically Lipschitz function $g'\colon X\to \R^{m+1}$. One should compare it to the result of Dranishnikov \cite{Dr1} who characterized the dimension of the Higson corona $\nu(X)$ of $X$ is the smallest integer $n\ge 0$ such that $\R^{n+1}$ is an absolute extensor of $X$ in the asymptotic category \AAA (that means any proper asymptotically Lipschitz function $f\colon A\to \R^{n+1}$, $A$ closed in $X$, extends to a proper asymptotically Lipschitz function $f'\colon X\to \R^{n+1}$). \par In \cite{Dr1} Dranishnikov introduced the category \tilde \AAA whose objects are pointed proper metric spaces $X$ and morphisms are asymptotically Lipschitz functions $f\colon X\to Y$ such that there are constants $b,c > 0$ satisfying $|f(x)|\ge c\cdot |x|-b$ for all $x\in X$. We show $\dim(\nu_L(X))\leq n$ if and only if $\R^{n+1}$ is an absolute extensor of $X$ in the category \tilde\AAA. \par As an application we reprove the following result of Dranishnikov and Smith \cite{DRS}: Theorem: Suppose $(X,d)$ is a proper metric space of finite asymptotic Assouad-Nagata dimension \asdim_{AN}(X). If $X$ is cocompact and connected, then \asdim_{AN}(X) equals the dimension of the sublinear Higson corona $\nu_L(X)$ of $X$.Comment: 13 page