The topology of surface mediatrices

Abstract

Given a pair of distinct points p and q in a metric space with distance d, the mediatrix is the set of points x such that d ( x , p ) = d ( x , q ) . In this paper, we examine the topological structure of mediatrices in connected, compact, closed 2-manifolds whose distance function is inherited from a Riemannian metric. We determine that such mediatrices are, up to homeomorphism, finite, closed simplicial 1-complexes with an even number of incipient edges emanating from each vertex. Using this and results from [J.J.P. Veerman, J. Bernhard, Minimally separating sets, mediatrices and Brillouin spaces, Topology Appl., in press], we give the classification up to homeomorphism of mediatrices on genus 1 tori (and on projective planes) and outline a method which may possibly be used to classify mediatrices on higher-genus surfaces.