Factorization of the identity through operators with large diagonal (Q1788789)

Let \(X\) be a Banach space. Let \((b_n)_{n\in\mathbb N}\) be a normalized basis for \(X\), and let \(b_n^*\in X^*\) be the \(n\)th coordinate functional. For an operator \(T\) on \(X\), we say that \(T\) has large diagonal if \(\inf_{n\in\mathbb N}|\langle Tb_n, b_n^*\rangle|>0\); \(T\) is diagonal if \(\langle Tb_m, b_n^*\rangle= 0\) whenever \(m, n \in \mathbb N\) are distinct; the identity operator \(I_X\) on \(X\) factors through \(T\) if there are operators \(R\) and \(S\) on \(X\) such that \(S\circ I_X=T\circ R\). In the case when the basis \((b_n)_{n\in\mathbb N}\) is unconditional, the diagonal operators on \(X\) correspond precisely to the elements of \(\ell^\infty(\mathbb N)\). This observation naturally leads to the question: Can the identity operator on \(X\) be factored through each operator on \(X\) with large diagonal? This question is known to have a positive answer in many classical Banach spaces. In the paper under review, the authors establish two results. Precisely, they show that there exists a Banach space with an unconditional basis for which the answer to the question above is negative. This result relies heavily on the deep work of \textit{W. T. Gowers} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 26, No. 6, 523--530 (1994; Zbl 0838.46011)] and \textit{W. T. Gowers} and \textit{B. Maurey} [Math. Ann. 307, No. 4, 543--568 (1997; Zbl 0876.46006)]. On the other hand, they prove that the question above has a positive answer for the mixed-norm Hardy space \(H^p(H^q)\), where \(1 \leq p, q < \infty\), with the bi-parameter Haar system as its unconditional basis.