The number of closed ideals in \(L(L_p)\) (Q2062997)

Let \(X\) be \(L_p[0,1]\) or \(\mathfrak{X}_p\), where \(p \in (1, \infty) \setminus{\{2\}}\) and \(\mathfrak{X}_p\) denotes the ``exotic'' complemented subspace of \(L_p[0,1]\) constructed by Rosenthal. The paper under review shows that there are \(2^{2^{\aleph_0}}\) different (even non-isomorphic) closed two-sided ideals in \(\mathscr{B}(X)\), the algebra of bounded linear operators on \(X\). This answers a long-standing open question from A.\ Pietsch's 1978 book ``Operator Ideals''. Moreover, the authors prove that \(\mathscr{B}(X)\) contains \begin{itemize} \item[(1)] an antichain of closed two-sided ideals of cardinality \(2^{2^{\aleph_0}}\), and \item[(2)] a chain of closed two-sided ideals of cardinality \(2^{\aleph_0}\). \end{itemize} The results above are achieved by constructing new closed two-sided ideals in \(\mathscr{B}(X)\), all of which contain an idempotent operator whose range is isomorphic to \(\ell_2\). Consequently, these ideals are \textit{large} in the sense that they are not contained in the closed two-sided ideal of strictly singular operators \(\mathscr{S}(X)\) on \(X\). Moreover, neither of these ideals contain \(\mathscr{S}(X)\). The authors prove in addition that \(\mathscr{B}(X)\) contains \(2^{2^{\aleph_0}}\) different \textit{small} ideals, that is, ideals which are contained in \(\mathscr{S}(X)\). Recently, in [\textit{D. Freeman} et al., Forum Math. Sigma 9, Paper No.~e27, 20~p. (2021; Zbl 1467.47044)] the authors showed that \(\mathscr{B}(\ell_p \oplus \ell_q)\) has \(2^{2^{\aleph_0}}\) distinct closed two-sided ideals whenever \(1 < p < q < \infty\), which yields an alternative proof of the main result of the paper under review.