The Bishop-Phelps-Bollobás property for Lipschitz maps (Q2338683)

The classical Bishop-Phelps theorem asserts that the norm-attaining linear forms on any Banach space are norm-dense in the dual space. This result has been given a quantitative form by \textit{B. Bollobás} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 2, 181--182 (1970; Zbl 0217.45104)]. On the other hand, it is well known to fail in general for linear operators between Banach spaces. The present article studies quite successfully a similar property in a nonlinear context. Let $M$ be a metric space and $Y$ be a Banach space. The space of Lipschitz maps from $M$ to $Y$ can be equipped with the Lipschitz norm, and the question occurs if one can approximate for this norm a Lipschitz map with maps which attain their norms on a pair of points. More precisely, the quantitative stronger form of this property (called here the Lipschitz-BPB property) means -- with proper quantification -- that if a Lipschitz map almost attains its norm on a given pair, it is close to a map which attains its norm on a close pair of points. The Lipschitz BPB property is studied in depth in this article. Among the most interesting results, let me single out the following: if $M$ is uniformly Gromov concave, then the Lipschitz BPB-property holds true for every Banach space $Y$. Uniform Gromov concavity is an intrinsic property of metric spaces which is satisfied, e.g., by ultrametric spaces and, more generally, by spaces whose metric $d$ is such that $d^p$ is still a metric for some $p>1$. It is also equivalent to the uniform strong exposition of the molecules in the unit ball of the Lipschitz-free space over $M$.