\(L_1\) spaces fail a certain approximative property (Q1380973)

J. Mach defined a condition (he called property \(P_1\)) that appears in the theory of simultaneous approximation of functions and in the approximation of compact operators. He showed that uniformly convex spaces and spaces of continuous functions satisfy the condition. He asked if \(L_1\) spaces also satisfy the condition. A. Kamal gives an intricate computation to show that \(l_1\) does not satisfy Mach's property. By referencing theorems on the attainment of ``compact widths'' and on embeddings of \(L_1[0,1]\) in \(L_1(X,\Sigma,\mu)\), he also shows that, when \((X,\Sigma,\mu)\) is not purely atomic, \(L_1(X,\Sigma,\mu)\) does not satisfy Mach's property. A normed linear space, \(E\), has Mach's property if for every \(\epsilon>0\) and each \(r>0\) there is a \(\delta>0\) such that for all \(x\) and \(y\) in \(E\) and all \(0<\theta < \delta\) there is a \(z\) such that \(| z-x| \leq \epsilon\) and \(B(x,r+\delta) \cap B(y,r+\theta) \subseteq B(z,r+\theta)\). Here \(B(\cdot, \cdot)\) represents an open sphere.