Some results on the convexity of the closure of the domain of a maximally monotone operator (Q2439512)

Let \(X\) be a real Banach space and \(X^*\) be its continuous dual space such that \((X,X^*)\) is a dual pair with the associated bilinear form \(\langle .,.\rangle\). Let \(A\) from \(X\) into \(X^*\) be a set-valued operator, viz., \(Ax \in X^*\) for every \(x \in X\). Let \(\mathrm{gra}~A=:\{(x,x^*) \in X \times X^*: x^* \in Ax\}\) denote the graph of \(A\). The domain of \(A\) denoted by \(\mathrm{dom} ~A\) is the set \(\{x \in X: Ax \neq \emptyset\}\). \(A\) is called monotone if \(\langle x-y, x^*-y^* \rangle \geq 0\) for all \((x,x^*) \in\mathrm{gra}~A\) and for all \((y,y^*) \in\mathrm{gra} ~A\). A monotone \(A\) is called maximally monotone if no proper enlargement (in terms of graph inclusion) of \(A\) is monotone. Let \(A\) be such that \(\mathrm{gra}~A \neq \emptyset\). The function \(F_A:X \times X^* \rightarrow (-\infty, \infty]\) defined by \(F_A(x,x^*)=\sup \{\langle x,a^* \rangle + \langle a,x^* \rangle -\langle a,a^* \rangle : (a,a^*) \in\mathrm{gra}~A\}\) is called the Fitzpatrick function associated with \(A\). Finally, if \(Y\) is another Banach space, let \(P_X\) be defined by \(P(x,y)=x,~(x,y) \in X \times Y\). The main result proved in this article says that, if \(A\) is maximally monotone, then the closure of the convex hull of the domain of \(A\) equals the closure of the subset \(P_X(\mathrm{dom}~F_A)\). This answers in the affirmative a question posed recently (cf. [\textit{S. Simons}, From Hahn-Banach to monotonicity. 2nd expanded ed. Berlin: Springer (2008; Zbl 1131.47050)], Problem 28.3, p.\,112).