Almost square dual Banach spaces (Q2308355)

A Banach space \(X\) is almost square if, for every \(\varepsilon > 0\) and every finite set \(x_1,\dots,x_n \in S_X\), there exists \(y \in S_X\) such that \(\|x_i \pm y\| \le 1 + \varepsilon\). A typical example of an almost square Banach space is \(c_0\). Every Banach space containing \(c_0\) can be renormed to be almost square, see [\textit{J. Becerra Guerrero} et al., J. Math. Anal. Appl. 438, No. 2, 1030--1040 (2016; Zbl 1346.46005)]. A Banach space \(X\) is octahedral if, for every \(\varepsilon > 0\) and every finite set \(x_1,\dots, x_n \in S_X\), there exists \(y \in S_X\) such that \(\|x_i \pm y\| \ge 2 - \varepsilon\). A typical example of an octahedral Banach space is \(\ell_1\). Every Banach space containing \(\ell_1\) can be renormed to be octahedral, see [\textit{G. Godefroy}, Stud. Math. 95, No. 1, 1--15 (1989; Zbl 0698.46011)]. It is not at all clear that there exist dual Banach spaces which are almost square. The authors of the paper under review show that there exists a bidual renorming of \(\ell_\infty\) which is almost square. They even show that a dual Banach space admits a dual almost square norm if and only if it contains an isomorphic copy of \(c_0\). Answering a question of Godefroy from [loc.\,cit.], \textit{J. Langemets} and \textit{G. López-Pérez} [``Bidual octahedral renormings and strong regularity in Banach spaces'', J. Inst. Math. Jussieu, 17 p. (2019; \url{doi:10.1017/S1474748019000264})] recently showed that every separable Banach space which contains \(\ell_1\) admits an equivalent norm such that its bidual norm is octahedral. In the present paper, the authors prove the almost square version of this result: Theorem. Every separable Banach space which contains \(c_0\) admits an equivalent norm such that its bidual is almost square. The paper ends with a characterization of almost square Banach spaces in terms of fourth dual types.