Pythagorean euclidean four point properties

Abstract

Characterizations of real inner product spaces among a class of metric spaces have been obtained based on homogeneity of metric pythagorean orthogonality, a metrization of the concept of pythagorean orthogonality as defined in normed linear spaces. In the present paper a considerable weakening of this hypothesis is shown to characterize real inner product spaces among complete, convex, externally convex metric spaces, generalizing a result of Kapoor and Prasad [9], and providing a connection with the many characterizations of such spaces using euclidean four point properties.