Local Isometries of Compact Metric Spaces

By local isometries we mean mappings which locally preserve distances. A few of the main results are: 1. For each local isometry / of a compact metric space (M,p) into itself there exists a unique decomposition of M into disjoint open sets, M = Ai g U • • • U Ai>, (0 < n < oo) such that (i) f(M}0) = M!Q, and (ii) f(M{) C M{_x and M< ^ 0 for each i, 1 < i < n. 2. Each local isometry of a metric continuum into itself is a homeomorphism onto itself. 3. Each nonexpansive local isometry of a metric continuum into itself is an isometry onto itself. 4. Each local isometry of a convex metric continuum into itself is an isometry onto itself.