Closed-ball characterization via distance sets in ultrametric spaces

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Let (X,d)(X,d)) be an ultrametric space. For each p→Xp\to X, define

Dp(X):={d(p,x):x∈X}.D_p(X):=\{d(p,x):x\in X\}.

Let B‾X\overline{\bf B}_X denote the set of all closed balls of (X,d)(X,d), and let CsX\bf Cs_X denote the family of centered spheres of (X,d)(X,d). The closed-ball characterization conjecture. If

B‾X⊆CsX,\overline{\bf B}_X\subseteq\bf Cs_X,

then Dp(X)∩[0,r]D_p(X)\cap[0,r] has a greatest element for every p∈Xp\in X and r∈R+r\in\mathbb R^+. Conversely, if (X,d)∈UT(X,d)\in\bf UT and Dp(X)∩[0,r]D_p(X)\cap[0,r] has a greatest element for every p∈Xp\in X and r∈R+r\in\mathbb R^+, then

B‾X⊆CsX.\overline{\bf B}_X\subseteq\bf Cs_X.

This conjecture seeks an intrinsic distance-set criterion for all closed balls to be centered spheres; the source gives no resolution status.

References

Primary source

Oleksiy Dovgoshey and Olga Rovenska, “Center of distances of ultrametric spaces generated by labeled trees”, arXiv:2601.13363 (2026).

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