Some geometric properties of Read's space (Q1686040)

In a paper published posthumously, the late \textit{C. J. Read} constructed an ingenious renorming of \(c_0\) so that no closed subspace of codimension \(2\) is proximinal [Isr. J. Math. 223, 493--504 (2018; Zbl 1397.46010)]. \textit{M. Rmoutil} showed in [J. Funct. Anal. 272, No. 3, 918--928 (2017; Zbl 1359.46008)] that this space has an even stronger property: the set of norm-attaining functionals does not contain a subspace of dimension \(2\). In this paper, the authors present a simplification of Rmoutil's argument by proving that the bidual of Read's space \(\mathcal R\) is strictly convex. They also consider some more geometric properties of \(\mathcal R\), namely that it is \( \frac23\)-rough, WLUR, but not LUR. In addition, they present a renorming of \(\mathcal R\) whose dual is both smooth and strictly convex and that satisfies the conclusions of Read's and Rmoutil's theorems.