A quantitative version of the Johnson-Rosenthal theorem (Q1697791)

Recall two classical results in Banach space theory. Bessaga-Pelczynski's theorem [\textit{C. Bessaga} and \textit{A. Pełczyński}, Stud. Math. 17, 151--164 (1958; Zbl 0084.09805)] states that a Banach space \(X\) contains a complemented copy of \(\ell_1\) if and only if \(X^*\) contains \(c_0\) (which is equivalent to containing \(\ell_\infty\)). Johnson-Rosenthal's theorem [\textit{W. B. Johnson} and \textit{H. P. Rosenthal}, Stud. Math. 43, 79--92 (1972; Zbl 0213.39301)] states that, for a Banach space \(X\), \(c_0\) is a quotient of \(X\) if and only if \(X^*\) contains \(\ell_1\) as well as \(X^*\) contains \(L_1([0,1])\) if and only if \(C(\Delta)\) is a quotient of \(X\), where \(\Delta\) denotes the Cantor set. In the present paper, the author gives a quantitative version of the mentioned results. For two Banach spaces \(X, Y\), one defines \[ \beta_Y(X) = \sup\{(\|A\| \|B\|)^{-1}: \;A:X \rightarrow Y,\;B: Y \rightarrow X \;\text{such that} \;AB=\operatorname{Id}_Y\}, \] where in the case that such operators do not exist, one defines \(\beta_Y(X)=0\). On the other hand, if \[ \alpha_Y(X) = \sup\{\|T^{-1}\|^{-1}: \;T:Y \rightarrow X \;\text{is an isomorphism with} \;\|T\|\leq 1\}, \] where in the case that there is no isomorphism, one defines \(\alpha_Y(X) =0\), and \[ \gamma_Y(X) = \sup\{ \delta(T): T:X \rightarrow Y \;\text{is a surjection with} \;\|T\|\leq 1\}, \] where \(\delta(T) = \sup\{ \delta>0:\;\delta B_Y \subseteq TB_X\}\), and in the case that there is no surjection, one defines \(\gamma_Y(X)=0\). Then, for any Banach space \(X\), the following hold: {\parindent=0.7cm\begin{itemize}\item[(i)] \((\alpha_{c_0}(X^*))^2 \leq \beta_{\ell_1}(X) \leq \alpha_{\ell_\infty}(X^*) \leq \alpha_{c_0}(X^*)\); \item[(ii)] \(\alpha_{\ell_1}(X^*) = \gamma_{c_0}(X)\); \item[(iii)] \(\alpha_{L_1}(X^*) = \gamma_{C(\Delta)}(X)\). \end{itemize}}