A new method for comparing two norm Hilbert spaces and their operators (Q716495)

The authors are two of the main researchers responsible for the development of the part of Functional Analysis devoted to the study of non-archimedean normed spaces over a Krull valued field \(K\), a part that has become a well-recognized discipline over the years. An important role is played by norm Hilbert spaces (NHS) i.e., non-archimedean Banach spaces \(E\) over \(K\) such that every closed subspace of \(E\) is orthocomplemented. The most recent contributions of the authors deal with operators on NHS. In this paper they discover a tool which could be called the ``\(\varphi\)-method'' that allows them to complete some of their previous results on the subject. This tool consists of using a suitable map \(\varphi: \{ \| x \| : x \in E, \, x \neq 0 \} \rightarrow G^{\sharp}\), where \(G^{\sharp}\) is the completion of the value group \(G\) of \(K\). This map induces a new norm \(\| \, . \, \|_{\varphi}\) on \(E\) with values in \(G^{\sharp} \cup \{ 0 \}\). The interplay between the two norms, \(\| \, . \, \|\) and \(\| \, . \, \|_{\varphi}\), will be the key to prove new results. Next we mention some of them. In one of their previous papers the authors proved that if \(\Phi(E)\) is the set of all Lipschitz-Fredholm operators \(E \rightarrow E\), then \(\{ A: E \rightarrow E: A + \Phi(E) \subset \Phi(E)\}\) is precisely the set of all nuclear operators on \(E\). However, continuous linear operators may not be Lipschitz (a curious fact!), and the problem of treating the case of just continuous Fredholm operators remained open. Now, by using the \(\varphi\)-method this problem is solved. In fact, they prove that if \(\Phi_c(E)\) is the set of all continuous Fredholm operators \(E \rightarrow E\), then \(\{A: E \rightarrow E\): \(A + \Phi_c(E) \subset \Phi_c(E)\}\) is precisely the set of all nuclear operators on \(E_{\varphi}: = (E, \| \, . \, \|_{\varphi})\). The \(\varphi\)-method has more applications. It allows for new (precise, simple and elegant) matrix characterizations of various classes (e.g. continuous, Lipschitz, Fredholm, nuclear, ...) of operators in one fundamental NHS: the space \(E\) constructed by Keller in 1980, which is the first infinite-dimensional orthomodular space in history. Moreover the \(\varphi\)-method can be used to link the space \(E\) of Keller and its associated space \(E_{\varphi}\). It leads to the construction of a new NHS with remarkable and peculiar properties.