Simultaneous packing and covering in sequence spaces (Q2391202)

Given a normed space \((X,\|\cdot\|)\), we call a subset \(P \subseteq X\) an \textit{\(r\)-packing} if the collection of balls \(\{B(x,r):x \in P\}\) is pairwise disjoint. A subset \(P \subseteq X\) is called an \textit{\(r\)-covering} if the collection of balls \(\{B(x,r):x \in P\}\) covers \(X\). For any \(P \subseteq X\), define \(R(P)=\inf\{R: P \text{ is an } R\text{-covering}\}\) and \(r(P)=\sup\{r: P \text{ is an } r\text{-packing}\}\). The \textit{simultaneous packing and covering constant} of (the unit ball of) \(X\) is defined as \(\gamma (X)=\inf\{R(P): P \text{ is a 1-packing}\}\). By Zorn's Lemma, there exists a maximal 1-packing, which is necessarily a 2-covering, so that \(1 \leq \gamma(X) \leq 2\). In this neat and compact paper the author proves that for each \(p \in [1,\infty)\), \(\gamma(\ell_{p})=2^{1-1/p}\). A result of Burlak, Rankin and Robertson [\textit{A.C. Burlak, R. A. Rankin} and \textit{A. P. Robertson}, Proc. Glasg. Math. Assoc., Vol. 4, 22--25 (1958; Zbl 0087.10801)] is used to show that \(2^{1-1/p}\) is a lower bound for \(\gamma(\ell_{p})\), and an explicit construction is adapted from earlier work of Klee [\textit{V. Klee}, Math. Ann., Vol. 257, 251--260 (1981; Zbl 0453.41021)] to prove the corresponding upper bound. The author also raises a couple of interesting open questions in the remarks section of the paper, regarding the lattice simultaneous packing and covering constant, the separation measure for non-compactness of the unit ball in \(X\), and the relationship between these quantities and \(\gamma(X)\).