On the reflexivity of \(\mathcal {P}_{w}(^{n}E;F)\) (Q1674890)

Let \(E\) and \(F\) be reflexive Banach spaces and \(G\) a closed linear subspace of the space \(L_K(E,F)\) of compact operators from \(E\) to \(F\). In [Ill. J. Math. 24, 196--205 (1980; Zbl 0411.46009)], \textit{M. Feder} proved that \(L_K(E,F)\) is either reflexive or non-isomorphic to a dual space whenever \(E\) and \(F\) are reflexive Banach spaces such that \(F\) or the dual of \(E\) is a subspace of a Banach space with an unconditional basis. Feder asked whether this is the case for all reflexive Banach spaces \(E\) and \(F\). The author gives a positive answer to this question by showing that, if a subspace \(G\) of \(L_K(E,F)\) is isomorphic to a dual space, then \(G\) is weakly sequentially complete and hence reflexive by a recent result of \textit{Q.-Y. Bu} [Can. Math. Bull. 56, No. 3, 503--509 (2013; Zbl 1287.46016)]. The answer to the question of Feder is thus positive for all closed subspaces of \(L_K(E,F)\), not just \(L_K(E,F)\) itself. Finally, it is shown that this generalizes to the space \(P_w(^n E,F)\) of all polynomials from \(E\) to \(F\) that are weakly continuous on bounded sets. If \(E\) and \(F\) are reflexive Banach spaces, then \(P_w(^n E,F)\) is either reflexive or non-isomorphic to a dual space for every \(n \in \mathbb{N}\).