Asymptotic structure and the existence of noncompact operators between Banach spaces (Q2466520)

Let \(X\) and \(Y\) be Banach spaces. Let \({\mathcal{L}}(X,Y)\) and \({\mathcal{K}}(X,Y)\) denote the Banach space of bounded linear operators from \(X\) to \(Y\) and its subspace of compact operators. The space \(c_0\) is denoted by \(\ell_\infty\). The classical Pitt theorem asserts that \({\mathcal{L}}(\ell_p, \ell_q)={\mathcal{K}}(\ell_p, \ell_q)\) whenever \(1\leq q<p\leq\infty\). Many authors have proven different extensions of Pitt's theorem (see, e.g., references in [\textit{J.\,M.\,F.\thinspace Castillo} and \textit{R.\,Garcia}, Extr.\ Math.\ 20, No.\,2, 185--197 (2005; Zbl 1107.46015)] and [\textit{J.\,Ausekle} and \textit{E.\,Oja}, Ark.\ Mat.\ 36, No.\,2, 233--239 (1998; Zbl 1037.47504)]). In this paper, the following nice extension is obtained: if \(X\) and \(Y\) are asymptotic \(\ell_p\) and asymptotic \(\ell_q\) spaces, respectively, where \(1\leq q<p\leq\infty\), then \({\mathcal{L}}(X,Y)={\mathcal{K}}(X,Y)\). This result is immediate from the main theorem of the paper asserting that \({\mathcal{L}}(X,Y)={\mathcal{K}}(X,Y)\) whenever \((X,Y)\) is a deviative pair of Banach spaces. The authors call a pair \((X,Y)\) of Banach spaces deviative if \({\text{dev}}_n(X,Y)>1\) for some \(n\in\mathbb {N}\), defining the \(n\)-th asymptotic deviation of \(X\) from \(Y\) as \[ {\text{dev}}_n(X,Y)=\inf\{\| T_{\xi,\eta}\| :\xi\in\{ X\}_n\text{ and }\eta\in\{ Y\}_n\}, \] where \(\{X\}_n\) is the \(n\)-th asymptotic structure of \(X\) and, for given \(n\)-dimensional subspaces of \(X\) and \(Y\) with fixed normalized monotone bases \(\xi=(E, (x_k)^n_1)\) and \(\eta=(F, (y_k)^n_1)\), \(T_{\xi,\eta}\in{\mathcal{L}}(E,F)\) takes the basis vector \(x_k\) to \(y_k\), \(k=1,\ldots, n\). Another main theorem asserts that, for a given pair \((X,Y)\) of Banach spaces, there exists a closed subspace \(Z\) of \(X\) such that \({\mathcal{L}}(Z,Y)\not={\mathcal{K}}(Z,Y)\) whenever \(\| T_{\xi,\eta}\| =1\) for all \(\xi\in\{ X\}_2\) and \(\eta\in\{ Y\}_2\). Proofs rely on [\textit{B. Maurey, V. D. Milman} and \textit{N. Tomczak-Jaegermann}, Oper. Theory, Adv. Appl. 77, 149--175 (1995; Zbl 0872.46013)].