On the sum of two closed subspaces (Q2451134)

A simple, short, transparent proof is given of the following result: Let \(U\) and \(V\) be closed subspaces of a Fréchet space \(E\). The space \(E\) is the (topological) direct sum of \(U\) and \(V\) if and only if the topological dual \(E'\) is the algebraic direct sum of the annihilators \(U^{\circ}\) and \(V^{\circ}\). As a consequence it is shown that if \(U\) and \(V\) are closed subspaces of the Fréchet space \(E\), then the sum \(U+V\) is closed in \(E\) if and only if \(U^{\circ} + V^{\circ}\) is \(\sigma(E',E)\)-closed in \(E'\). The latter statement was given and proved in [\textit{W. A. J. Luxemburg}, Indag. Math. 47, 235--242 (1985; Zbl 0591.46003)], but the proof there needed some corrections of missing arguments that are also presented in the paper under review.