Isometric reflection vectors and characterizations of Hilbert spaces (Q2443801)

A unit vector \(u\) in a real Banach space \((X,\| \cdot \|)\) is called isometric reflection vector (i.r.v. in short) if, for some hyperplane \(H=H(u)\) of \(X\) through the origin, it happens that \(\| u+y\| = \| u-y\|\) for every \(y \in H\). It is known (see [\textit{J. Becerra Guerrero} and \textit{A. Rodriguez Palacios}, Rocky Mt. J. Math. 30, No. 1, 63--83 (2000; Zbl 1001.46013)]) that \(X\) is Hilbert if (and only if) the closure of the set of the i.r.v.'s has nonempty relative interior in the unit sphere of \(X\). The aim of the present paper is to relax this condition formally to the following one: there exists an i.r.v. \(u\) such that, for any two-dimensional subspace \(L\) through \(u\), there exists some i.r.v. \(\nu\) such that the ratio \(\delta(u,\nu)/|S_L|\) is an irrational number less than 1/4, where \(\delta(u,\nu)\) denotes the length of the (shortest) arc (in the unit circle of \(L\)) connecting \(u\) with \(\nu\) and \(|S_L|\) denotes the length of the unit circle of \(L\). A condition of the same type was stated by \textit{H. Martini} and the second author in [Period. Math. Hung. 57, No. 2, 207--215 (2008; Zbl 1199.46064)].