Approximate amenability of \(K(X)\) (Q2253150)

The notion of approximate amenability was introduced by \textit{F. Ghahramani} and \textit{R. J. Loy} [J. Funct. Anal. 208, No. 1, 229--260 (2004; Zbl 1045.46029)]. A Banach algebra \(A\) is said to be approximately amenable if, for each Banach \(A\)-bimodule \(X\) and for each continuous derivation \(D\) from \(A\) into the dual Banach \(A\)-bimodule \(X^*\), there exists a net \((\xi_i)\) in \(X^*\) such that \(D(a)=\lim_i a\cdot\xi_i-\xi_i\cdot a\) for each \(a\in A\). Further, the question of whether there exists a Banach space \(X\) for which the Banach algebra \(K(X)\) of all compact operators on \(X\) is approximately amenable but not amenable appeared in the above mentioned paper. In the paper under review, the authors show that, if the Banach space \(X\) is ``fairly close'' to a Hilbert space, then \(K(X)\) is approximately amenable. Then they show that certain \(\ell^2\)-direct sums \(X=\bigoplus_{i=1}^{\infty}\ell_{p_i}^{n_i}\) are fairly close to Hilbert spaces, but \(K(X)\) is not amenable.