Almost square and octahedral norms in tensor products of Banach spaces (Q2412823)

A norm is almost square (ASQ) if, whenever \(x_1,x_2,\dots, x_k\in S_X\), there exists a sequence \((y_n)\subset B_X\) with \(\|y_n\|\to 1\) and \(\|y_n+x_i\|\to 1\) for all \(i=1,2,\ldots,k\). ASQ-spaces were introduced in [\textit{T. A. Abrahamsen} et al., J. Math. Anal. Appl. 434, No. 2, 1549--1565 (2016; Zbl 1335.46006)]. \(c_0\) and every non-reflexive \(M\)-embedded space are ASQ. Moreover, ASQ-spaces always contain an asymptotically isometric copy of \(c_0\). ASQ is also the same as Whitley's thinness index being equal to 1. A norm is octahedral (OH) if, whenever \(x_1,x_2,\dots, x_k\in S_X\) and \(\varepsilon>0\), there exists \(y\in S_X\) with \(\|x_i+y\|>2-\varepsilon\) for all \(i=1,2,\dots, k\). The theory of OH-spaces goes back to deep studies of \(\ell_1\)-containment by Deville and Godefroy during the last half of the 1980s. OH is the same as Whitley's thickness index being equal to 2. OH-spaces always contain an asymptotically isometric copy of \(\ell_1\). \(X\) being ASQ implies that every convex combination of slices of \(B_X\) has diameter 2, which in turn is equivalent to \(X^\ast\) being OH. As a rule of thumb for intuition, ASQ hints towards strong local \(c_0\) geometry, while OH hints towards strong local \(\ell_1\) structure. There are many results in the paper under review. The authors have pointed to the most important of them in their abstract: (Theorem 2.2 and Corollary 2.4) The injective tensor product of OH-spaces is OH.\newline (Theorem 2.6 and Corollary 2.7) The injective tensor product of an ASQ space with any space is ASQ. Thus, \(C(K,X)\) is ASQ exactly when \(X\) is ASQ (Corollary 2.8).\newline (Theorem 3.1) The \(n\)-fold symmetric injective tensor product of an OH-space is OH as well. Also, weaker types of squareness and octahedrality are considered, as well as implications to diameter 2 properties.