Polyhedral norms on non-separable Banach spaces (Q935060)

A Banach space \(X\) is called polyhedral if the unit ball of each of its finite-dimensional subspaces is a polytope. Separable polyhedral spaces were investigated in detail; see, e.g., [\textit{V. P. Fonf, J.\,Lindenstrauss} and \textit{R. P. Phelps}, in: Handbook of the Geometry of Banach spaces, Vol.\ I, Elsevier, 599--670 (2001; Zbl 1086.46004)]. Not much is known about non-separable polyhedral spaces. The space \(C[0,\alpha]\) of continuous functions on a segment of ordinals admits an equivalent polyhedral norm [\textit{V. P. Fonf}, Sib.\ Mat.\ Zh.\ 21, No.\,~3, 230--232 (1980; Zbl 0447.46019)]. In the paper under review, the authors identify new classes of non-separable spaces which admit an equivalent polyhedral norm. They consider \(\mathcal{C}(K)\) spaces, tensor products and spaces with an uncountable unconditional basis. In particular, if a compact space \(K\) is a finite product of ordinal segments or countable unions of discrete spaces, then it admits an equivalent polyhedral norm (if \(\mathcal{C}(K)\) admits such norm, then \(K\) must be scattered!). A tree is a partially ordered set \((\mathcal{T},\preccurlyeq )\), such that given any \(t\in\mathcal{T}\), the set of predecessors \(\{s\in\mathcal{T}:s\preccurlyeq t\}\) is well ordered. Any tree is a scattered locally compact space. Let \(S_{X^*}\) be the unit sphere of dual \(X^*\) and \(M\) be a set. A linear bounded operator \(T:X\to c_0(S_{X^*}\times M)\) is called a Talagrand operator if, for any \(x\in X\), there is a pair \((f,m)\in S_{X^*}\times M\) with \(f(x)=\| x\| \) and \((Tx)(f,m)\neq 0\). One of the main results states that the space \(\mathcal{C}_0(\mathcal{T})\) of continuous functions on a tree \(\mathcal{T}\), vanishing `at infinity', has a polyhedral renorming if and only if it admits a Talagrand operator. Surprisingly enough, according to \textit{R.\,Haydon} [Proc.\ Lond.\ Math.\ Soc., III.~Ser.\ 78, 541--584 (1999; Zbl 1036.46003)], this happens if and only if \(\mathcal{C}_0(\mathcal{T})\) admits a Fréchet differentiable norm. By using this result, the authors obtain ZFC examples of scattered compacts \(K\) with the property that \(\mathcal{C}(K)\) does not admit a polyhedral renorming. It is known that, under CH, the space \(\mathcal{C}(\mathcal{K})\) for the Kunen (scattered) compact \(\mathcal{K}\) admits no polyhedral norms [\textit{M. Jimenez-Sevilla, J. P. Moreno}, J.~Funct.\ Anal.\ 144, 486--504 (1997; Zbl 0898.46008)]. A subset \(B\subset S_{X^*}\) is called a boundary of \(X\) if for any \(x\in X\) there is \(f\in B\) with \(f(x)=\| x\| \). A set \(B\subset S_{X^*}\) has property \((*)\) if, given any w*-limit point \(f_0\) of \(B\), we have \(f_0(x)<1\) whenever \(x\in S_X\). A Banach space having a boundary with \((*)\) is polyhedral. The authors prove that, if \(X\) admits a boundary with \((*)\) and \(Y\) admits a polyhedral norm, then the injective tensor product \(X\otimes_{\varepsilon}Y\) admits a polyhedral renorming. Concerning unconditional bases, the authors prove the following Theorem. Let \(X\) have an (uncountable) monotone unconditional basis \(\{e_i\}_{i\in I}\), i.e., \(\| P_{\sigma}\| =1\) for any finite \(\sigma\subset I\), and \(P_{\sigma}(x)=\sum_{i\in\sigma}e_i^*(x)e_i\), where \(\{e_i^*\}\) is the biorthogonal system for \(\{e_i\}\). Assume that for any \(x\in X\) there is a finite subset \(\sigma\subset I\) with \(\| x\| =\| P_{\sigma}(x)\| \). Then \(X\) is isomorphic to a polyhedral space. This is a generalization of the corresponding separable result due to \textit{D.\,Leung} [Isr.\ J.\ Math.\ 87, 117--128 (1994; Zbl 0804.46014)]. Natural open problems are posed, for example: does a polyhedral space have a boundary with \((*)\), with respect to some equivalent norm? This is true for separable spaces.