Some natural subspaces and quotient spaces of \(L^1\) (Q1679450)

This paper consists of two independent parts. In the first part, it is proved that the free space \(\mathcal{F}(\mathbb{R}^d)\) is isometric to the quotient of \(L^1(\mathbb{R}^d,\mathbb{R}^d)\) by the space \(N\) of divergence-free vector fields. Let me note that this result has been extended in [\textit{M. Cúth} et al., Mathematika 63, No. 2, 538--552 (2017; Zbl 1402.46007)]. Even though \(\mathcal{F}(\mathbb{R}^d)\) shares many properties of spaces which are \(L\)-complemented in its bidual, it is proved that the space \(N\) is not nicely placed, that is, a natural strategy leading to the conclusion that \(\mathcal{F}(\mathbb{R}^d)\) is \(L\)-complemented in its bidual, fails. In the second part of the paper, it is proved that if \(\Omega\) is a bounded open star-shaped subset of \(\mathbb{R}^d\), then subspaces of \(L^1(\Omega)\), satisfying a certain natural condition, are nicely placed and even something much stronger holds for them. Consequences on the structure of such spaces are collected and numerous examples are provided where the results apply.