Uniformly convex renormings and generalized cotypes (Q2020393)

The paper is concerned with some improvements on the modulus of convexity by renormings of a super-reflexive Banach space. The authors obtain an explicit upper bound for the modulus of convexity of equivalent renormings of a Banach space \(X\), showing that, when the space admits a renorming with modulus of power type~2, then such a bound is equivalent to \(t^2\). The main tool is the use of the notion of generalized cotype introduced by \textit{T. Figiel} [Stud. Math. 56, 121--155 (1976; Zbl 0344.46052)] as a nondecreasing function \(\phi\) such that there exist \(a,b>0\) for which \(\sum_{k=1}^n \phi(\|x_k\|)\le b\) implies \(\int_0^1 \|\sum_{k=1}^nx_k r_k(t)\|dt\le b\) for all \(n\in \mathbb N\) and \(x_1,\dots, x_n\in X\). It was shown that any modulus of convexity is a generalized cotype [\textit{T.~Figiel} and \textit{G.~Pisier}, C.~R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. A 279, 611--614 (1974; Zbl 0326.46007)]. The paper attacks the converse, that is to say, whether given a generalized cotype \(\phi\) on a super-reflexive Banach space, the space can be renormed with a modulus of convexity not worse than \(\phi\). Positive answers have been known for Banach spaces with unconditional bases. One of the results in the paper establishes that if \(X\) is a UMD Banach space and \(\phi\) is a generalized cotype, then it can be renormed in such a way that the modulus of convexity is \(\ge c\phi(t)\) for some constant \(c>0\). This extends the previous work by \textit{G. Pisier} [Isr. J. Math. 20, 326--350 (1975; Zbl 0344.46030)] for spaces of cotype~\(p\). The authors also improve some previous results of the second author where the decreasing submultiplicative function, which was shown to exist for any super-reflexive Banach space whose inverse corresponds to the supremum, up to equivalence, in the set of moduli of convexity for different renormings, is shown to be equivalent to the Szlenk index of the unit ball of \(L^2(X)\).