Classes of strictly singular operators and their products (Q1001447)

The authors study some interesting properties and applications of a refinement of strict singularity for linear operators, which is defined in terms of the higher iterated Schreier families \(S_{\xi}\) introduced by \textit{D.\,Alspach} and \textit{S.\,A.\thinspace Argyros} [Diss.\ Math.\ 321 (1992; Zbl 0787.46009)] for \(1 \leq \xi < \omega_1\). Here, \(S_1 = \{F \subset \mathbb N: \# F \leq \min F\}\) is the original Schreier class. Let \(X\) and \(Y\) be Banach spaces. The bounded operator \(T: X \to Y\) is said to be \(S_\xi\)-strictly singular if, for any \(\varepsilon > 0\) and any basic sequence \((x_i)\) in \(X\), there is a set \(F \in S_\xi\) and a nonzero vector \(z \in [x_i: i \in F]\) so that \(\| Tz\| \leq \varepsilon \| z\|\). Here, \([x_i: i \in F]\) is the closed linear span of the vectors \(x_i\) for \(i \in F\). The main results are as follows. (a) If \(X\) has at most \(n\) non-equivalent classes (defined with respect to the family \(S_\xi\)) of weakly null spreading sequences in \(X\) and \(T_1, \dots, T_{n+1}\) are \(S_\xi\)-strictly singular operators on \(X\), then the product \(T_{n+1}T_{n} \dots T_1\) is compact. (The most general version of this result is more technical to state.) This refines the observation of \textit{V.\,D.\thinspace Mil'man} [Teor.\ Funkts., Funkts.\ Anal.\ Prilozh.\ 10, 15--26 (1970; Zbl 0217.17201)] that the product of any two strictly singular operators on \(L^p(0,1)\), \(1 < p < \infty\), is compact. (b) If \(X\) is separable, then any strictly singular operator \(T: X \to Y\) is \(S_\xi\)-strictly singular for some \(1 \leq \xi < \omega_1\). (c) If \(X\) is separable, then \(X\) is hereditarily indecomposable if and only if \(X\) is \(S_\xi\)-hereditarily indecomposable for some \(1 \leq \xi < \omega_1\). The Banach space \(X\) is called \(S_\xi\)-hereditarily indecomposable if, for any \(\varepsilon > 0\), any infinite-dimensional subspace \(Y\subset X\), and any basic sequence \((x_n)\) in \(X\), there is a set \(F \in S_\xi\) and a normalized vector \(y \in Y\) so that \(\text{dist}(y,[x_i: i \in F]) < \varepsilon\). For instance, the original hereditarily indecomposable space constructed by \textit{W.\,T.\thinspace Gowers} and \textit{B.\,Maurey} [J.~Am.\ Math.\ Soc.\ 6, No.\,4, 851--874 (1993; Zbl 0827.46008)] is \(S_3\)-hereditarily indecomposable. The proofs of (b) and (c) use tools from descriptive set theory.