Locally convex properties of free locally convex spaces (Q2325971)

Let \(E\) be a locally convex space and denote by \(\sigma(E',E)\) (resp., \(\beta(E',E)\)) the weak topology (resp., the strong topology) on the dual space \(E'\). Then: \begin{itemize} \item[(1)] \(E\) is (quasi)barrelled if every \(\sigma(E',E)\)-bounded (resp., \(\beta(E',E)\)-bounded) subset of \(E'\) is equicontinuous; \item[(2)] \(E\) is \(\aleph_0\)-(quasi)barrelled if every \(\sigma(E',E)\)-bounded (resp., \(\beta(E',E)\)-bounded) subset of \(E'\) which is a countable union of equicontinuous subsets is also equicontinuous; \item[(3)] \(E\) is \(\ell_\infty\)-(quasi)barrelled if every \(\sigma(E',E)\)-bounded (resp., \(\beta(E',E)\)-bounded) sequence is equicontinuous; \item[(4)] \(E\) is \(c_0\)-(quasi)barrelled if every \(\sigma(E',E)\)-null (resp., \(\beta(E',E)\)-null) sequence is equicontinuous; \item[(5)] \(E\) is a \((DF)\)-space (resp., a \((df)\)-space) if it has a fundamental bounded sequence and is \(\aleph_0\)-quasibarrelled (resp., \(c_0\)-quasibarrelled); \item[(6)] \(E\) is an almost \((DF)\)-space if it has a fundamental bounded sequence and is \(\ell_\infty\)-quasibarrelled. \end{itemize} Most of these properties have been deeply studied in the literature. In the present article, the author focuses on studying these properties in the setting of free locally convex spaces introduced by Markov. The free locally convex space \(L(X)\) on a Tychonoff space \(X\) consists of a locally convex space \(L(X)\) together with a continuous embedding \(i:X \to L(X)\) such that for every continuous map \(f:X \to E\) from \(X\) to any real locally convex space \(E\) there exists a unique continuous linear operator \(\Psi_E(f):L(X) \to E\) with \(f=\Psi_E(f) \circ i\). Ferrando, Kąkol and Saxon proved that \(L(X)\) is \(\ell_\infty\)-barrelled if and only if \(X\) is a \(P\)-space [\textit{J. C. Ferrando} et al., Funct. Approximatio, Comment. Math. 50, No. 2, 389--399 (2014; Zbl 1319.46002)]. The main result of the article under review is an extension of this characterization, which states that, indeed, for a free locally convex space, being \(\ell_\infty\)-barrelled, \(\ell_\infty\)-quasibarrelled, \(c_0\)-barrelled or \(\aleph_0\)-quasibarrelled is equivalent to \(X\) being a \(P\)-space (and, therefore, all these properties coincide on the class of free locally convex spaces). The author also provides sufficient conditions for a free locally convex space to be \(c_0\)-quasibarrelled, which permits him to distinguish this property from the ones mentioned before. On the other hand, the author proves that \(L(X)\) is a \((DF)\)-space if and only if \(X\) is a countable discrete space and provides an example of a countable Tychonoff space \(X\) for which \(L(X)\) is a quasi-\((DF)\)-space, whereas it is not \(c_0\)-quasibarrelled. The author also shows that every free locally convex space has the Dunford-Pettis property and studies a sequential version of this property as well as the Grothendieck property in this setting.