Thickening of the diagonal and interleaving distance

Abstract: Given a topological space $X$, a thickening kernel is a monoidal presheaf on $(\mathbb{R}_{\geq0},+)$ with values in the monoidal category of derived kernels on $X$. A bi-thickening kernel is defined on $(\mathbb{R},+)$. To such a thickening kernel, one naturally associates an interleaving distance on the derived category of sheaves on $X$. We prove that a thickening kernel exists and is unique as soon as it is defined on an interval containing $0$, allowing us to construct (bi-)thickenings in two different situations. First, when $X$ is a ``good'' metric space, starting with small usual thickenings of the diagonal. The associated interleaving distance satisfies the stability property and Lipschitz kernels give rise to Lipschitz maps. Second, by using [GKS12], when $X$ is a manifold and one is given a non-positive Hamiltonian isotopy on the cotangent bundle. In case $X$ is a complete Riemannian manifold having a strictly positive convexity radius, we prove that it is a good metric space and that the two bi-thickening kernels of the diagonal, one associated with the distance, the other with the geodesic flow, coincide.