On norm attaining polynomials. (Q1873651)

The Bishop-Phelps theorem [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 67, 97--98 (1961; Zbl 0098.07905)] states that the set of norm attaining linear functionals on a Banach space \(X\) is dense in the dual \(X^*\). \textit{M. Jimenez-Sevilla} and \textit{R. Paya} showed that there is no analogue of this theorem for spaces of homogeneous polynomials [Stud. Math. 127, 99--112 (1998; Zbl 0909.46015)] but, in the spirit of \textit{J. Lindenstrauss}'s result [Isr. J. Math. 1, 139--148 (1963; Zbl 0127.06704)] and using the same type of technique, the authors show that for every Banach space \(X\), the set of 2-homogeneous continuous polynomials whose canonical extensions to \(X^{**}\) attain their norm is a dense subset of the space of all 2-homogeneous continuous polynomials \({\mathcal P}(^2X)\). In the same vein, they sharpen a result by \textit{M. D. Acosta} [Stud. Math. 131, 155--165 (1998; Zbl 0934.46048)] concerning the space of bilinear forms \({\mathcal L}(^2X \times Y)\). For a bilinear form \(A\) on \(X \times Y\), there exist two possible extensions, \(A_{12}\) and \(A_{21}\), to \(X^{**} \times Y^{**}\). It is shown that the set of bilinear forms \(A\) whose extensions \(A_{12}\) and \(A_{21}\) attain their norm simultaneously at the same points is dense in \({\mathcal L}(^2X \times Y)\). This does improve Acostas' result (which states the denseness of those bilinear forms for which \(A_{12}\) is norm attaining), since there exist bilinear forms for which only one of the two extensions is norm attaining.