Let (X , d) be a complete metric space, m ∈ N \ {0}, and γ ∈ R with 0 ≤ γ < 1. A g-contraction is a mapping T : X −→ X such that for all x, y ∈ X there is anThe generalized Banach contractions principle states that each g-contraction has a fixed point. We show that this principle is a consequence of Ramsey's theorem for pairs over, roughly,
Mathematics Subject Classification 03B30, 03F60, 47H10 (primary); 03F35 (secondary)Keywords: reverse mathematics, Ramsey's theorem for pairs, Banach contraction principleIn this paper we will show that a generalization of the Banach contraction mapping principle-the generalized Banach contractions principle-follows from Ramsey's theorem for pairs over a weak basis theory.Let (X , d) be a complete metric space, let m ∈ N \ {0}, and let γ ∈ R with 0 ≤ γ < 1. We call a functionThe ordinary Banach contraction mapping theorem states that every (1, γ)-g-contraction has a fixed point. The generalized Banach contraction mapping principle is the statement that every (m, γ)-g-contraction has a fixed point.First results on the generalized Banach contraction mapping principle have been established in Jachymski, Schroder and Stein [12], where it is shown that this principle is true for g-contractions where m = 2. In Jachymski and Stein [13] it was shown that the principle is true for all m if the g-contraction is uniformly continuous. Later in Merryfield, Rothschild and Stein [18] it was shown that this principle is true for all continuous g-contractions and for m = 3 without this continuity assumption. The proof of the former statement uses Ramsey's theorem. However, it also uses full arithmetical comprehension, which is-as we will see below-much stronger than this contraction principle. Therefore,