A conjecture of Palamodov about the functors \(\text{Ext}^{k}\) in the category of locally convex spaces. (Q1402324)

\textit{V. P. Palamodov} [Russ. Math. Surv. 26, 1--64 (1971); translation from Usp. Mat. Nauk 26, No. 1(157), 3--65 (1971; Zbl 0247.46070)] used methods of homological algebra, and in particular derived functors, to study a variety of classical analytical problems. For a fixed locally convex space \(E\) the functor \(L(E,.)\) assigns to each locally convex space \(X\) the space \(L(E,X)\) of all continuous linear operators from \(E\) into \(X\). Using injective resolutions, the derived functors \(\text{Ext}^k(E, .)\) can be constructed, \(k=1,2,\dots\). Among other things, Palamodov proved that \(\text{Ext}^k(E,X) =0\) for all \(k \geq 1\) if \(E\) is a (DF)-space, \(X\) is a Fréchet space and one of these spaces is nuclear. As the author remarks, this actually also follows from Grothendieck's ``Thèse''. Palamodov conjectured that the following ``dual'' result holds as well: \(\text{Ext}^i(E,X) = 0\) for \(i \geq 1\) if \(E\) is metric, \(X\) is a complete dual metric space and one of these spaces is nuclear. The present article settles this conjecture (to some extent). On the one hand, the author proves: If \(E\) is a locally convex space, \(X\) is an (LB)-space such that one of them is nuclear, then the continuum hypothesis implies \(\text{Ext}^k(E,X) = 0\) for \(k \geq 3\). On the other hand, it is shown here: There is a normed space \(E\) such that, under the assumption of the continuum hypothesis, \(\text{Ext}^1(E,X) \neq 0\) for each infinite dimensional nuclear (LB)-space \(X\). Moreover, if \(X\) is an infinite dimensional nuclear (LB)-space, the continuum hypothesis implies \(\text{Ext}^2(\omega,X) \neq 0\), where \(\omega\) denotes the countable product of the scalar field. The continuum hypothesis is needed in the proofs, but it is not known whether the solution of Palamodov's conjecture logically depends on this hypothesis. For related results see \textit{J. Wengenroth} [Derived functors in functional analysis, Springer Lecture Notes Math. 1810 (2003; Zbl 1031.46001)].