Cotype and \((q,1)\)-summing norm in a Banach space (Q2366463)

A Banach space \(X\) is said to be of coptype \(q\), where \(2\leq q< \infty\), if there is a constant \(C\) such that \[ \left(\sum_{i\leq n} \| x_ i\|^ q\right)^{1/q}\leq C\mathbb{E} \Bigl\| \sum_{i\leq n} g_ i x_ i\Bigr\| \] for all \(n\) and all vectors \(x_ 1,\dots, x_ n\) in \(X\), where \(g_ 1,\dots, g_ n\) are independent standard normal random variables and \(\mathbb{E}\) denotes expectation. The smallest possible constant is denoted by \(C_ q(X)\). A related concept is that of the \((q,1)\)- summing norm \(\pi_{q,1}(X)\) of the identity operator on \(X\). This is the least constant \(C\) such that \[ \left(\sum_{i\leq n} \| x_ i\|^ q\right)^{1/q}\leq C\sup \left\{\sum_{i\leq n} | x^*(x_ i)|: x^*\in X^*_ 1\right\} \] for all \(n\) and all \(x_ 1,\dots, x_ n\) in \(X\), where \(X^*_ 1\) is the unit ball of the dual space of \(X\). If no such constant exists, take \(\pi_{q,1}(X)= \infty\). It follows from results in the fundamental paper of \textit{B. Maurey} and \textit{G. Pisier} [Stud. Math. 58, 45-90 (1976; Zbl 0344.47014)] that \(\pi_{q,1}(X)\) is finite if \(X\) is of cotype \(q\) and that, if \(\pi_{q,1}(X)\) is finite, then \(X\) is of cotype \(q'\) for all \(q'> q\). The aim of the present paper is to consider whether the finiteness of \(\pi_{q,1}(X)\) implies that \(X\) is actually of cotype \(q\). Maurey has proved that this is indeed the case if \(q> 2\) and \(X\) is a Banach lattice, whilst the present author [Invent. Math. 107, No. 1, 1-40 (1992; Zbl 0788.47022)] gave an example of a Banach lattice for which the result fails when \(q= 2\). In the present paper, it is shown that the result holds when \(q> 2\) for an arbitrary Banach space \(X\). Indeed, a somewhat stronger result is shown, namely that there is a positive real-valued function \(\varphi(s, t)\) defined for \(s,t> 0\) such that \(C_ q(X)\leq \varphi(q,\pi_{q, 1}(X))\). The proof of this remarkable result is a blend of probabilistic ideas and ingenious technical arguments.