# K-distance set

Let $X$ be a set with metric $d$, $Y\subseteq X$, and $L=\{d(x,y):x,y\in Y,x\neq y\}$. If $K:=\#(L)$ is finite, $Y$ is said to be a $K$-distance set.

$Y$ is called a maximal $K$-distance set if and only if for all $x\in X\setminus Y$, there exists $y\in Y$ such that $d(x,y)\notin L$. That is, if anything is added to $Y$, it is no longer a $K$-distance set.

$Y$ is called a spherical $K$-distance set if and only if $Y$ is a $K$-distance set and every element of $Y$ is a fixed distance $r$ from some element $c$, so $Y$ is a subset of the sphere (http://planetmath.org/SphereMetricSpace) centered at $c$ with radius $r$.

For example, let $X=\mathbb{R}^{2}$ with $d=$ the box metric: $d(x,y)=\max\{|x_{1}-y_{1}|,|x_{2}-y_{2}|\}$ with $x_{i},y_{i}$ components of $x,y$, respectively. Let $Y=\{(0,0),(1,0),(2,0),(0,1),(1,1),(2,1),(0,2),(1,2),(2,2)\}$. Then $L=\{1,2\}$, so $K=2$, so $Y$ is a 2-distance set.

Note: please do not confuse this definition of $K$-distance set with $\Delta_{K}(Y)$, the $K$-distance set of $Y$.

Title K-distance set KdistanceSet 2013-03-22 14:19:17 2013-03-22 14:19:17 rspuzio (6075) rspuzio (6075) 6 rspuzio (6075) Definition msc 52C35