Metrizable topological vector space

In functional analysis and related areas of mathematics, a metrizable (resp. pseudometrizable) topological vector space (TVS) is a TVS whose topology is induced by a metric (resp. pseudometric). An LM-space is an inductive limit of a sequence of locally convex metrizable TVS.

A pseudometric on a set ${\displaystyle X}$ is a map ${\displaystyle d:X\times X\rightarrow \mathbb {R} }$ satisfying the following properties:

1. ${\displaystyle d(x,x)=0{\text{ for all }}x\in X}$;
2. Symmetry: ${\displaystyle d(x,y)=d(y,x){\text{ for all }}x,y\in X}$;
3. Subadditivity: ${\displaystyle d(x,z)\leq d(x,y)+d(y,z){\text{ for all }}x,y,z\in X.}$

A pseudometric is called a metric if it satisfies:

4. Identity of indiscernibles: for all ${\displaystyle x,y\in X,}$ if ${\displaystyle d(x,y)=0}$ then ${\displaystyle x=y.}$

Ultrapseudometric

A pseudometric ${\displaystyle d}$ on ${\displaystyle X}$ is called a ultrapseudometric or a strong pseudometric if it satisfies:

5. Strong/Ultrametric triangle inequality: ${\displaystyle d(x,z)\leq \max\{d(x,y),d(y,z)\}{\text{ for all }}x,y,z\in X.}$

Pseudometric space

A pseudometric space is a pair ${\displaystyle (X,d)}$ consisting of a set ${\displaystyle X}$ and a pseudometric ${\displaystyle d}$ on ${\displaystyle X}$ such that ${\displaystyle X}$'s topology is identical to the topology on ${\displaystyle X}$ induced by ${\displaystyle d.}$ We call a pseudometric space ${\displaystyle (X,d)}$ a metric space (resp. ultrapseudometric space) when ${\displaystyle d}$ is a metric (resp. ultrapseudometric).

If ${\displaystyle d}$ is a pseudometric on a set ${\displaystyle X}$ then collection of open balls: $${\displaystyle B_{r}(z):=\{x\in X:d(x,z)<r\}}$$ as ${\displaystyle z}$ ranges over ${\displaystyle X}$ and ${\displaystyle r>0}$ ranges over the positive real numbers, forms a basis for a topology on ${\displaystyle X}$ that is called the ${\displaystyle d}$-topology or the pseudometric topology on ${\displaystyle X}$ induced by ${\displaystyle d.}$

Convention: If ${\displaystyle (X,d)}$ is a pseudometric space and ${\displaystyle X}$ is treated as a topological space, then unless indicated otherwise, it should be assumed that ${\displaystyle X}$ is endowed with the topology induced by ${\displaystyle d.}$

Pseudometrizable space

A topological space ${\displaystyle (X,\tau )}$ is called pseudometrizable (resp. metrizable, ultrapseudometrizable) if there exists a pseudometric (resp. metric, ultrapseudometric) ${\displaystyle d}$ on ${\displaystyle X}$ such that ${\displaystyle \tau }$ is equal to the topology induced by ${\displaystyle d.}$^[1]

An additive topological group is an additive group endowed with a topology, called a group topology, under which addition and negation become continuous operators.

A topology ${\displaystyle \tau }$ on a real or complex vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ is called a vector topology or a TVS topology if it makes the operations of vector addition and scalar multiplication continuous (that is, if it makes ${\displaystyle X}$ into a topological vector space).

Every topological vector space (TVS) ${\displaystyle X}$ is an additive commutative topological group but not all group topologies on ${\displaystyle X}$ are vector topologies. This is because despite it making addition and negation continuous, a group topology on a vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ may fail to make scalar multiplication continuous. For instance, the discrete topology on any non-trivial vector space makes addition and negation continuous but do not make scalar multiplication continuous.

If ${\displaystyle X}$ is an additive group then we say that a pseudometric ${\displaystyle d}$ on ${\displaystyle X}$ is translation invariant or just invariant if it satisfies any of the following equivalent conditions:

1. Translation invariance: ${\displaystyle d(x+z,y+z)=d(x,y){\text{ for all }}x,y,z\in X}$;
2. ${\displaystyle d(x,y)=d(x-y,0){\text{ for all }}x,y\in X.}$

If ${\displaystyle X}$ is a topological group the a value or G-seminorm on ${\displaystyle X}$ (the G stands for Group) is a real-valued map ${\displaystyle p:X\rightarrow \mathbb {R} }$ with the following properties:^[2]

1. Non-negative: ${\displaystyle p\geq 0.}$
2. Subadditive: ${\displaystyle p(x+y)\leq p(x)+p(y){\text{ for all }}x,y\in X}$;
3. ${\displaystyle p(0)=0..}$
4. Symmetric: ${\displaystyle p(-x)=p(x){\text{ for all }}x\in X.}$

where we call a G-seminorm a G-norm if it satisfies the additional condition:

5. Total/Positive definite: If ${\displaystyle p(x)=0}$ then ${\displaystyle x=0.}$

If ${\displaystyle p}$ is a value on a vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ then:

• ${\displaystyle |p(x)-p(y)|\leq p(x-y){\text{ for all }}x,y\in X.}$^[3]
• ${\displaystyle p(nx)\leq np(x)}$ and ${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{n}}p(x)\leq p(x/n)}$ for all ${\displaystyle x\in X}$ and positive integers ${\displaystyle n.}$^[4]
• The set ${\displaystyle \{x\in X:p(x)=0\}}$ is an additive subgroup of ${\displaystyle X.}$^[3]

Let ${\displaystyle X}$ be a non-trivial (i.e. ${\displaystyle X\neq \{0\}}$) real or complex vector space and let ${\displaystyle d}$ be the translation-invariant trivial metric on ${\displaystyle X}$ defined by ${\displaystyle d(x,x)=0}$ and ${\displaystyle d(x,y)=1{\text{ for all }}x,y\in X}$ such that ${\displaystyle x\neq y.}$ The topology ${\displaystyle \tau }$ that ${\displaystyle d}$ induces on ${\displaystyle X}$ is the discrete topology, which makes ${\displaystyle (X,\tau )}$ into a commutative topological group under addition but does not form a vector topology on ${\displaystyle X}$ because ${\displaystyle (X,\tau )}$ is disconnected but every vector topology is connected. What fails is that scalar multiplication isn't continuous on ${\displaystyle (X,\tau ).}$

This example shows that a translation-invariant (pseudo)metric is not enough to guarantee a vector topology, which leads us to define paranorms and F-seminorms.

A collection ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {N}}}$ of subsets of a vector space is called additive^[5] if for every ${\displaystyle N\in {\mathcal {N}},}$ there exists some ${\displaystyle U\in {\mathcal {N}}}$ such that ${\displaystyle U+U\subseteq N.}$

All of the above conditions are consequently a necessary for a topology to form a vector topology. Additive sequences of sets have the particularly nice property that they define non-negative continuous real-valued subadditive functions. These functions can then be used to prove many of the basic properties of topological vector spaces and also show that a Hausdorff TVS with a countable basis of neighborhoods is metrizable. The following theorem is true more generally for commutative additive topological groups.

If ${\displaystyle X}$ is a vector space over the real or complex numbers then a paranorm on ${\displaystyle X}$ is a G-seminorm (defined above) ${\displaystyle p:X\rightarrow \mathbb {R} }$ on ${\displaystyle X}$ that satisfies any of the following additional conditions, each of which begins with "for all sequences ${\displaystyle x_{\bullet }=\left(x_{i}\right)_{i=1}^{\infty }}$ in ${\displaystyle X}$ and all convergent sequences of scalars ${\displaystyle s_{\bullet }=\left(s_{i}\right)_{i=1}^{\infty }}$":^[6]

1. Continuity of multiplication: if ${\displaystyle s}$ is a scalar and ${\displaystyle x\in X}$ are such that ${\displaystyle p\left(x_{i}-x\right)\to 0}$ and ${\displaystyle s_{\bullet }\to s,}$ then ${\displaystyle p\left(s_{i}x_{i}-sx\right)\to 0.}$
2. Both of the conditions:
   • if ${\displaystyle s_{\bullet }\to 0}$ and if ${\displaystyle x\in X}$ is such that ${\displaystyle p\left(x_{i}-x\right)\to 0}$ then ${\displaystyle p\left(s_{i}x_{i}\right)\to 0}$;
   • if ${\displaystyle p\left(x_{\bullet }\right)\to 0}$ then ${\displaystyle p\left(sx_{i}\right)\to 0}$ for every scalar ${\displaystyle s.}$
3. Both of the conditions:
   • if ${\displaystyle p\left(x_{\bullet }\right)\to 0}$ and ${\displaystyle s_{\bullet }\to s}$ for some scalar ${\displaystyle s}$ then ${\displaystyle p\left(s_{i}x_{i}\right)\to 0}$;
   • if ${\displaystyle s_{\bullet }\to 0}$ then ${\displaystyle p\left(s_{i}x\right)\to 0{\text{ for all }}x\in X.}$
4. Separate continuity:^[7]
   • if ${\displaystyle s_{\bullet }\to s}$ for some scalar ${\displaystyle s}$ then ${\displaystyle p\left(sx_{i}-sx\right)\to 0}$ for every ${\displaystyle x\in X}$;
   • if ${\displaystyle s}$ is a scalar, ${\displaystyle x\in X,}$ and ${\displaystyle p\left(x_{i}-x\right)\to 0}$ then ${\displaystyle p\left(sx_{i}-sx\right)\to 0}$ .

A paranorm is called total if in addition it satisfies:

• Total/Positive definite: ${\displaystyle p(x)=0}$ implies ${\displaystyle x=0.}$

If ${\displaystyle p}$ is a paranorm on a vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ then the map ${\displaystyle d:X\times X\rightarrow \mathbb {R} }$ defined by ${\displaystyle d(x,y):=p(x-y)}$ is a translation-invariant pseudometric on ${\displaystyle X}$ that defines a vector topology on ${\displaystyle X.}$^[8]

If ${\displaystyle p}$ is a paranorm on a vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ then:

• the set ${\displaystyle \{x\in X:p(x)=0\}}$ is a vector subspace of ${\displaystyle X.}$^[8]
• ${\displaystyle p(x+n)=p(x){\text{ for all }}x,n\in X}$ with ${\displaystyle p(n)=0.}$^[8]
• If a paranorm ${\displaystyle p}$ satisfies ${\displaystyle p(sx)\leq |s|p(x){\text{ for all }}x\in X}$ and scalars ${\displaystyle s,}$ then ${\displaystyle p}$ is absolutely homogeneity (i.e. equality holds)^[8] and thus ${\displaystyle p}$ is a seminorm.

• If ${\displaystyle d}$ is a translation-invariant pseudometric on a vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ that induces a vector topology ${\displaystyle \tau }$ on ${\displaystyle X}$ (i.e. ${\displaystyle (X,\tau )}$ is a TVS) then the map ${\displaystyle p(x):=d(x-y,0)}$ defines a continuous paranorm on ${\displaystyle (X,\tau )}$; moreover, the topology that this paranorm ${\displaystyle p}$ defines in ${\displaystyle X}$ is ${\displaystyle \tau .}$^[8]
• If ${\displaystyle p}$ is a paranorm on ${\displaystyle X}$ then so is the map ${\displaystyle q(x):=p(x)/[1+p(x)].}$^[8]
• Every positive scalar multiple of a paranorm (resp. total paranorm) is again such a paranorm (resp. total paranorm).
• Every seminorm is a paranorm.^[8]
• The restriction of an paranorm (resp. total paranorm) to a vector subspace is an paranorm (resp. total paranorm).^[9]
• The sum of two paranorms is a paranorm.^[8]
• If ${\displaystyle p}$ and ${\displaystyle q}$ are paranorms on ${\displaystyle X}$ then so is ${\displaystyle (p\wedge q)(x):=\inf _{}\{p(y)+q(z):x=y+z{\text{ with }}y,z\in X\}.}$ Moreover, ${\displaystyle (p\wedge q)\leq p}$ and ${\displaystyle (p\wedge q)\leq q.}$ This makes the set of paranorms on ${\displaystyle X}$ into a conditionally complete lattice.^[8]
• Each of the following real-valued maps are paranorms on ${\displaystyle X:=\mathbb {R} ^{2}}$:
  • ${\displaystyle (x,y)\mapsto |x|}$
  • ${\displaystyle (x,y)\mapsto |x|+|y|}$
• The real-valued maps ${\displaystyle (x,y)\mapsto {\sqrt {\left|x^{2}-y^{2}\right|}}}$ and ${\displaystyle (x,y)\mapsto \left|x^{2}-y^{2}\right|^{3/2}}$ are not paranorms on ${\displaystyle X:=\mathbb {R} ^{2}.}$^[8]
• If ${\displaystyle x_{\bullet }=\left(x_{i}\right)_{i\in I}}$ is a Hamel basis on a vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ then the real-valued map that sends ${\displaystyle x=\sum _{i\in I}s_{i}x_{i}\in X}$ (where all but finitely many of the scalars ${\displaystyle s_{i}}$ are 0) to ${\displaystyle \sum _{i\in I}{\sqrt {\left|s_{i}\right|}}}$ is a paranorm on ${\displaystyle X,}$ which satisfies ${\displaystyle p(sx)={\sqrt {|s|}}p(x)}$ for all ${\displaystyle x\in X}$ and scalars ${\displaystyle s.}$^[8]
• The function ${\displaystyle p(x):=|\sin(\pi x)|+\min\{2,|x|\}}$ is a paranorm on ${\displaystyle \mathbb {R} }$ that is not balanced but nevertheless equivalent to the usual norm on ${\displaystyle R.}$ Note that the function ${\displaystyle x\mapsto |\sin(\pi x)|}$ is subadditive.^[10]
• Let ${\displaystyle X_{\mathbb {C} }}$ be a complex vector space and let ${\displaystyle X_{\mathbb {R} }}$ denote ${\displaystyle X_{\mathbb {C} }}$ considered as a vector space over ${\displaystyle \mathbb {R} .}$ Any paranorm on ${\displaystyle X_{\mathbb {C} }}$ is also a paranorm on ${\displaystyle X_{\mathbb {R} }.}$^[9]

If ${\displaystyle X}$ is a vector space over the real or complex numbers then an F-seminorm on ${\displaystyle X}$ (the ${\displaystyle F}$ stands for Fréchet) is a real-valued map ${\displaystyle p:X\to \mathbb {R} }$ with the following four properties: ^[11]

1. Non-negative: ${\displaystyle p\geq 0.}$
2. Subadditive: ${\displaystyle p(x+y)\leq p(x)+p(y)}$ for all ${\displaystyle x,y\in X}$
3. Balanced: ${\displaystyle p(ax)\leq p(x)}$ for ${\displaystyle x\in X}$ all scalars ${\displaystyle a}$ satisfying ${\displaystyle |a|\leq 1;}$
   • This condition guarantees that each set of the form ${\displaystyle \{z\in X:p(z)\leq r\}}$ or ${\displaystyle \{z\in X:p(z)<r\}}$ for some ${\displaystyle r\geq 0}$ is a balanced set.
4. For every ${\displaystyle x\in X,}$ ${\displaystyle p\left({\tfrac {1}{n}}x\right)\to 0}$ as ${\displaystyle n\to \infty }$
   • The sequence ${\displaystyle \left({\tfrac {1}{n}}\right)_{n=1}^{\infty }}$ can be replaced by any positive sequence converging to the zero.^[12]

An F-seminorm is called an F-norm if in addition it satisfies:

5. Total/Positive definite: ${\displaystyle p(x)=0}$ implies ${\displaystyle x=0.}$

An F-seminorm is called monotone if it satisfies:

6. Monotone: ${\displaystyle p(rx)<p(sx)}$ for all non-zero ${\displaystyle x\in X}$ and all real ${\displaystyle s}$ and ${\displaystyle t}$ such that ${\displaystyle s<t.}$^[12]

An F-seminormed space (resp. F-normed space)^[12] is a pair ${\displaystyle (X,p)}$ consisting of a vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ and an F-seminorm (resp. F-norm) ${\displaystyle p}$ on ${\displaystyle X.}$

If ${\displaystyle (X,p)}$ and ${\displaystyle (Z,q)}$ are F-seminormed spaces then a map ${\displaystyle f:X\to Z}$ is called an isometric embedding^[12] if ${\displaystyle q(f(x)-f(y))=p(x,y){\text{ for all }}x,y\in X.}$

Every isometric embedding of one F-seminormed space into another is a topological embedding, but the converse is not true in general.^[12]

• Every positive scalar multiple of an F-seminorm (resp. F-norm, seminorm) is again an F-seminorm (resp. F-norm, seminorm).
• The sum of finitely many F-seminorms (resp. F-norms) is an F-seminorm (resp. F-norm).
• If ${\displaystyle p}$ and ${\displaystyle q}$ are F-seminorms on ${\displaystyle X}$ then so is their pointwise supremum ${\displaystyle x\mapsto \sup\{p(x),q(x)\}.}$ The same is true of the supremum of any non-empty finite family of F-seminorms on ${\displaystyle X.}$^[12]
• The restriction of an F-seminorm (resp. F-norm) to a vector subspace is an F-seminorm (resp. F-norm).^[9]
• A non-negative real-valued function on ${\displaystyle X}$ is a seminorm if and only if it is a convex F-seminorm, or equivalently, if and only if it is a convex balanced G-seminorm.^[10] In particular, every seminorm is an F-seminorm.
• For any ${\displaystyle 0<p<1,}$ the map ${\displaystyle f}$ on ${\displaystyle \mathbb {R} ^{n}}$ defined by $${\displaystyle [f\left(x_{1},\ldots ,x_{n}\right)]^{p}=\left|x_{1}\right|^{p}+\cdots \left|x_{n}\right|^{p}}$$ is an F-norm that is not a norm.
• If ${\displaystyle L:X\to Y}$ is a linear map and if ${\displaystyle q}$ is an F-seminorm on ${\displaystyle Y,}$ then ${\displaystyle q\circ L}$ is an F-seminorm on ${\displaystyle X.}$^[12]
• Let ${\displaystyle X_{\mathbb {C} }}$ be a complex vector space and let ${\displaystyle X_{\mathbb {R} }}$ denote ${\displaystyle X_{\mathbb {C} }}$ considered as a vector space over ${\displaystyle \mathbb {R} .}$ Any F-seminorm on ${\displaystyle X_{\mathbb {C} }}$ is also an F-seminorm on ${\displaystyle X_{\mathbb {R} }.}$^[9]

Every F-seminorm is a paranorm and every paranorm is equivalent to some F-seminorm.^[7] Every F-seminorm on a vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ is a value on ${\displaystyle X.}$ In particular, ${\displaystyle p(x)=0,}$ and ${\displaystyle p(x)=p(-x)}$ for all ${\displaystyle x\in X.}$

Suppose that ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {L}}}$ is a non-empty collection of F-seminorms on a vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ and for any finite subset ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {F}}\subseteq {\mathcal {L}}}$ and any ${\displaystyle r>0,}$ let $${\displaystyle U_{{\mathcal {F}},r}:=\bigcap _{p\in {\mathcal {F}}}\{x\in X:p(x)<r\}.}$$

The set ${\displaystyle \left\{U_{{\mathcal {F}},r}~:~r>0,{\mathcal {F}}\subseteq {\mathcal {L}},{\mathcal {F}}{\text{ finite }}\right\}}$ forms a filter base on ${\displaystyle X}$ that also forms a neighborhood basis at the origin for a vector topology on ${\displaystyle X}$ denoted by ${\displaystyle \tau _{\mathcal {L}}.}$^[12] Each ${\displaystyle U_{{\mathcal {F}},r}}$ is a balanced and absorbing subset of ${\displaystyle X.}$^[12] These sets satisfy^[12] $${\displaystyle U_{{\mathcal {F}},r/2}+U_{{\mathcal {F}},r/2}\subseteq U_{{\mathcal {F}},r}.}$$

• ${\displaystyle \tau _{\mathcal {L}}}$ is the coarsest vector topology on ${\displaystyle X}$ making each ${\displaystyle p\in {\mathcal {L}}}$ continuous.^[12]
• ${\displaystyle \tau _{\mathcal {L}}}$ is Hausdorff if and only if for every non-zero ${\displaystyle x\in X,}$ there exists some ${\displaystyle p\in {\mathcal {L}}}$ such that ${\displaystyle p(x)>0.}$^[12]
• If ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {F}}}$ is the set of all continuous F-seminorms on ${\displaystyle \left(X,\tau _{\mathcal {L}}\right)}$ then ${\displaystyle \tau _{\mathcal {L}}=\tau _{\mathcal {F}}.}$^[12]
• If ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {F}}}$ is the set of all pointwise suprema of non-empty finite subsets of ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {F}}}$ of ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {L}}}$ then ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {F}}}$ is a directed family of F-seminorms and ${\displaystyle \tau _{\mathcal {L}}=\tau _{\mathcal {F}}.}$^[12]

Suppose that ${\displaystyle p_{\bullet }=\left(p_{i}\right)_{i=1}^{\infty }}$ is a family of non-negative subadditive functions on a vector space ${\displaystyle X.}$

The Fréchet combination^[8] of ${\displaystyle p_{\bullet }}$ is defined to be the real-valued map $${\displaystyle p(x):=\sum _{i=1}^{\infty }{\frac {p_{i}(x)}{2^{i}\left[1+p_{i}(x)\right]}}.}$$

Assume that ${\displaystyle p_{\bullet }=\left(p_{i}\right)_{i=1}^{\infty }}$ is an increasing sequence of seminorms on ${\displaystyle X}$ and let ${\displaystyle p}$ be the Fréchet combination of ${\displaystyle p_{\bullet }.}$ Then ${\displaystyle p}$ is an F-seminorm on ${\displaystyle X}$ that induces the same locally convex topology as the family ${\displaystyle p_{\bullet }}$ of seminorms.^[13]

Since ${\displaystyle p_{\bullet }=\left(p_{i}\right)_{i=1}^{\infty }}$ is increasing, a basis of open neighborhoods of the origin consists of all sets of the form ${\displaystyle \left\{x\in X~:~p_{i}(x)<r\right\}}$ as ${\displaystyle i}$ ranges over all positive integers and ${\displaystyle r>0}$ ranges over all positive real numbers.

The translation invariant pseudometric on ${\displaystyle X}$ induced by this F-seminorm ${\displaystyle p}$ is $${\displaystyle d(x,y)=\sum _{i=1}^{\infty }{\frac {1}{2^{i}}}{\frac {p_{i}(x-y)}{1+p_{i}(x-y)}}.}$$

This metric was discovered by Fréchet in his 1906 thesis for the spaces of real and complex sequences with pointwise operations.^[14]

If each ${\displaystyle p_{i}}$ is a paranorm then so is ${\displaystyle p}$ and moreover, ${\displaystyle p}$ induces the same topology on ${\displaystyle X}$ as the family ${\displaystyle p_{\bullet }}$ of paranorms.^[8] This is also true of the following paranorms on ${\displaystyle X}$:

• ${\displaystyle q(x):=\inf _{}\left\{\sum _{i=1}^{n}p_{i}(x)+{\frac {1}{n}}~:~n>0{\text{ is an integer }}\right\}.}$^[8]
• ${\displaystyle r(x):=\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }\min \left\{{\frac {1}{2^{n}}},p_{n}(x)\right\}.}$^[8]

The Fréchet combination can be generalized by use of a bounded remetrization function.

A bounded remetrization function^[15] is a continuous non-negative non-decreasing map ${\displaystyle R:[0,\infty )\to [0,\infty )}$ that has a bounded range, is subadditive (meaning that ${\displaystyle R(s+t)\leq R(s)+R(t)}$ for all ${\displaystyle s,t\geq 0}$), and satisfies ${\displaystyle R(s)=0}$ if and only if ${\displaystyle s=0.}$

Examples of bounded remetrization functions include ${\displaystyle \arctan t,}$ ${\displaystyle \tanh t,}$ ${\displaystyle t\mapsto \min\{t,1\},}$ and ${\displaystyle t\mapsto {\frac {t}{1+t}}.}$^[15] If ${\displaystyle d}$ is a pseudometric (respectively, metric) on ${\displaystyle X}$ and ${\displaystyle R}$ is a bounded remetrization function then ${\displaystyle R\circ d}$ is a bounded pseudometric (respectively, bounded metric) on ${\displaystyle X}$ that is uniformly equivalent to ${\displaystyle d.}$^[15]

Suppose that ${\displaystyle p_{\bullet }=\left(p_{i}\right)_{i=1}^{\infty }}$ is a family of non-negative F-seminorm on a vector space ${\displaystyle X,}$ ${\displaystyle R}$ is a bounded remetrization function, and ${\displaystyle r_{\bullet }=\left(r_{i}\right)_{i=1}^{\infty }}$ is a sequence of positive real numbers whose sum is finite. Then $${\displaystyle p(x):=\sum _{i=1}^{\infty }r_{i}R\left(p_{i}(x)\right)}$$ defines a bounded F-seminorm that is uniformly equivalent to the ${\displaystyle p_{\bullet }.}$^[16] It has the property that for any net ${\displaystyle x_{\bullet }=\left(x_{a}\right)_{a\in A}}$ in ${\displaystyle X,}$ ${\displaystyle p\left(x_{\bullet }\right)\to 0}$ if and only if ${\displaystyle p_{i}\left(x_{\bullet }\right)\to 0}$ for all ${\displaystyle i.}$^[16] ${\displaystyle p}$ is an F-norm if and only if the ${\displaystyle p_{\bullet }}$ separate points on ${\displaystyle X.}$^[16]

A pseudometric (resp. metric) ${\displaystyle d}$ is induced by a seminorm (resp. norm) on a vector space ${\displaystyle X}$ if and only if ${\displaystyle d}$ is translation invariant and absolutely homogeneous, which means that for all scalars ${\displaystyle s}$ and all ${\displaystyle x,y\in X,}$ in which case the function defined by ${\displaystyle p(x):=d(x,0)}$ is a seminorm (resp. norm) and the pseudometric (resp. metric) induced by ${\displaystyle p}$ is equal to ${\displaystyle d.}$

If ${\displaystyle (X,\tau )}$ is a topological vector space (TVS) (where note in particular that ${\displaystyle \tau }$ is assumed to be a vector topology) then the following are equivalent:^[11]

1. ${\displaystyle X}$ is pseudometrizable (i.e. the vector topology ${\displaystyle \tau }$ is induced by a pseudometric on ${\displaystyle X}$).
2. ${\displaystyle X}$ has a countable neighborhood base at the origin.
3. The topology on ${\displaystyle X}$ is induced by a translation-invariant pseudometric on ${\displaystyle X.}$
4. The topology on ${\displaystyle X}$ is induced by an F-seminorm.
5. The topology on ${\displaystyle X}$ is induced by a paranorm.