Real interpolation and compact linear operators (Q916981)

The main result of the paper is a new proof of a result of \textit{K. Hayakawa} [J. Math. Soc. Japan 21, 189-199 (1969; Zbl 0181.137)]: T: \(A_ 0\to B_ 0\) is compact and T: \(A_ 1\to B_ 1\) is compact, then given any \(\theta\) and q with \(0<\theta <1\) and \(0<q\leq \infty\), it follows that \(T: (A_ 0,A_ 1)_{\theta,q}\to (B_ 0,B_ 1)_{\theta,q}\) is also compact. (The original result of Hayakawa was actually stated for \(1\leq q<\infty.)\) The authors also show that if \(B_ 1\) is continuously embedded in \(B_ 0\) then the result holds under the weaker assumption that T: \(A_ 1\to B_ 1\) is bounded. This last result should be compared with the result of \textit{F. Cobos} and \textit{D. L. Fernandez} [On interpolation of compact operators, to appear in Arc. Mat.]: if T: \(A_ 0\to B_ 0\) is bounded, T: \(A_ 1\to B_ 1\), is compact, and \(A_ 1\) is continuously embedded in \(A_ 0\), then \(T: \bar A_{\theta,q}\to \bar B_{\theta,q},\) is compact, \(0<\theta <1\), \(0<q\leq \infty\). In fact these last two results are, at least if \(1\leq q\leq \infty\), equivalent by duality. Reviewer's remark: a recent paper of \textit{M. Cwikel} [cf. Real and complex interpolation and extrapolation of compact operators, to appear] not only simplifies the theory but also provides a definitive result in this area: if \(\bar A,\) \(\bar B,\) are arbitrary compatible pairs of Banach spaces, and T is a linear bounded operator T: \(A_ j\to B_ j\), \(j=0,1\); such that T: \(A_ 0\to B_ 0\) compactly, then T: \(\bar A_{\theta,q}\to \bar B_{\theta,q}\) is compact. Thus, one sided compactness suffices with no restrictions on the Banach pairs. The obvious conjecture that a similar result holds for the complex method of interpolation remains an open problem.