TITLE: Showing $\rho (x,y)=\frac{d(x,y)}{1+d(x,y)}$ is a metric
QUESTION [8 upvotes]: Show $\rho (x,y)=\dfrac{d(x,y)}{1+d(x,y)}$ is a metric on the metric space $X$, equipped with the Euclidean metric $d$.

I've already shown that the positivity $\rho(x,y)\geq 0$, the symmetry $\rho(x,x)=\rho(y,y)=0$.
I'm having trouble proving the last condition of a metric space though: the triangle inequality must be valid:
$\rho(x,y)\leq \rho(x,p)+\rho (p,y)$, for $p\in X$. So, $\dfrac{d(x,y)}{1+d(x,y)}\leq \dfrac{d(p,x)}{1+d(p,x)}+\dfrac{d(p,y)}{1+d(p,y)}$
Could someone provide a hint as to get started? No complete solutions please. Thanks in advance.

REPLY [3 votes]: I just wanted to add an answer that will show you a more general view on the question.
Suppose you have a metric $d$, the question is when for some function $f$, $f(d)$ is also a metric.
First, you obviously need
a) $f$ is defined on $\mathbb{R}_+$, $f(0)=0$ and $f(x)>0$ for $x>0$.
You also need $f$ to satisfy $f(d(x,z))+f(d(y,z))\ge f(d(x,y))$.
Now, if $f$ is also
b) increasing, and
c) concave,
then $f(d(x,z))+f(d(y,z))\ge f(d(x,z)+d(y,z))$ (because for a concave function $f(a+b)-f(a)\le f(b)-f(0)=f(b)$, or put it differently $f(a)+f(b)\ge f(a+b)$),
and $f(d(x,z)+d(y,z))\ge f(d(x,y))$ (because $f$ is increasing and $d(x,z)+d(y,z)\ge d(x,y)$).
So, given any function $f$ that starts at $0$, and is positive, increasing and concave for positive reals ($\frac{x}{1+x}$, $\arctan x$, $\sqrt{x}$ etc.) for any metric $d$ you have another metric $f(d)$. In fact, I think, if $f$ is continuous at $0$, metrics $f(d)$ and $d$ are equivalent, but I am not sure about this last statement.