\(k\)-extreme points in symmetric spaces of measurable operators (Q2348834)

The setting of the paper is a symmetric (in some results, strongly symmetric) Banach function space \(E\subset L_1[0,\alpha)+L_{\infty}[0,\alpha)\), \(\alpha<\infty\) or \(=\infty\), and its noncommutative counterpart\newline \centerline{ \(E(M,\tau)=\{x\in S(M,\tau) : \mu(x)\in E\},\) } where \(M\) is a von Neumann algebra with a normal faithful semifinite (in some results, \(\sigma\)-finite) trace \(\tau\), \(S(M,\tau)\) is the set of the associated \(\tau\)-measurable operators and where, finally, \(\mu(x):[0,\infty)\to[0,\infty]\) is the decreasing rearrangement of \(x\in S(M,\tau)\), analogous to the decreasing rearrangement \(\mu(f)\) of \(f\in E\). For two measurable functions \(f,g\) on \([0,\alpha)\), \(f\) is said to be majorized by \(g\), in symbol \(f\prec g\), if \(\int_0^t\mu(f)\leq\int_0^t\mu(g)\) for all \(t>0\); similarly, \(x\prec y\) denotes \(\mu(x)\prec\mu(y)\) for \(x,y\in S(M,\tau)\). Properties of \(E(M,\tau)\) can often be expressed in terms of \(E\). The property studied in the paper under review concerns \(k\)-extreme points: A point \(x\) in the unit sphere of a complex Banach space (of dimension \(\geq k+1\)) is called a \(k\)-extreme point of the unit ball of \(X\) if it cannot be written as an average of \(k+1\) linearly independent elements of the unit sphere. (A \(1\)-extreme point is a (usual) extreme point.) One main result states that, if \(\mu(f)\in E\) is a \(k\)-extreme point of the unit ball of \(E\) for a norm one element \(f\) of \(E\), then each norm one \(g\in E\) with \(f\prec g\) satisfies \(\mu(g)=\mu(f)\). (For \(E=L^1[0,1]\) and \(k=1\), this has been proved in [\textit{J. V. Ryff}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 18, 1026--1034 (1967; Zbl 0184.34503)]). In a second main result, the authors give a complete characterization of \(k\)-extreme points for semifinite non-atomic \(M\) and \(\sigma\)-finite \(\tau\) in \(E(M,\tau)\) in the spirit of [\textit{V. I. Chilin} et al., Integral Equations Oper. Theory 15, No. 2, 186--226 (1992; Zbl 0787.46051)]: \(x\) in the unit ball of \(E(M,\tau)\) is \(k\)-extreme if and only if \(\mu(x)\) is \(k\)-extreme in the unit ball of \(E\) and satisfies a certain condition. As a consequence, in the unit ball of \(E\), \(f\) is \(k\)-extreme if and only if \(\mu(f)\) is \(k\)-extreme in the unit ball of \(E\) such that \(|f|\geq\lim_{t\to\infty}\mu(f)(t)\). Another consequence states that \(E\) is \(k\)-rotund (i.e., all norm one elements are \(k\)-extreme) if and only if \(E(M,\tau)\) is. (In some of the `if and only if'-statements of the paper, one direction holds with relaxed hypothesis.) The last chapter of the article comes back to function spaces. It is shown that, for the unit ball of the Marcinkiewicz space, extreme and \(k\)-extreme points coincide, which can be reformulated by saying that, for \(g\in L_1[0,\alpha)+L_{\infty}[0,\alpha)\), the orbit \(\Omega(g)=\{f\in L_1[0,\alpha)+L_{\infty}[0,\alpha) : f\prec g\}\) has the same extreme and \(k\)-extreme points. (\(\Omega(g)\) is called orbit because it can be written as the orbit of a semigroup of operators.) The same holds for another orbit \(\Omega'(g)\) (\(0\leq g\in L_1[0,\alpha)\), \(\alpha<\infty\)) whose extreme points have been characterized in [\textit{F. Sukochev} and \textit{D. Zanin}, J. Funct. Anal. 257, No. 1, 194--218 (2009; Zbl 1182.46018)].