Capacities and 1-strict subsets in metric spaces

In a complete metric space that is equipped with a doubling measure and supports a Poincare inequality, we study strict subsets, i.e. sets whose variational capacity with respect to a larger reference set is finite, in the case p = 1. Relying on the concept of fine topology, we give a characterization of those strict subsets that are also sets of finite perimeter, and then we apply this to the study of condensers as well as BV capacities. We also apply the theory to prove a pointwise approximation result for functions of bounded variation. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.