The Dunkl-Williams constant, convexity, smoothness and normal structure (Q2481843)

In 1964, \textit{C. F. Dunkl} and \textit{K. S. Williams} [Am. Math. Monthly 71, No. 1, 53--54 (1964; Zbl 0178.16202)] proved that \[ \left\| \frac{x}{\| x \|} - \frac{y}{\| y \|} \right\| \leq \frac{4}{\| x \| + \| y \| } \| x - y \| \] for nonzero elements \(x\) and \(y\) in a normed linear space \(X\) and noted that the constant \(4\) in the inequality could be replaced by the constant \(2\) if \(X\) is a Hilbert space. Shortly thereafter, \textit{W.\ Kirk} and \textit{M.\ Smiley} [Am. Math. Monthly 78, No.\ 8, 890--891 (1964; doi:10.2307/2312400)] showed that the inequality with the constant \(2\) in place of the constant \(4\) actually characterizes Hilbert spaces. In the article under review, the authors define the Dunkl-Williams constant of a Banach space \(X\) to be \[ DW(X) = \sup \left\{ \frac{\| x\| + \| y\|}{\| x-y \|} \left\| \frac{x}{\| x \|} - \frac{y}{\| y \|} \right\| : x,y \in X, x\neq 0, y\neq 0, x\neq y\right\} \] and consider several geometric properties of Banach spaces in term on the Dunkl-Williams constant. In particular, the authors establish the inequalities \[ \max\{ 2 \varepsilon_0(X), 4\rho_X'(0), 2\} \leq DW(X) \leq 2 + J(X) \] where \(\varepsilon_0(X)\), \(\rho_X\), and \(J(X)\) denote the characteristic of convexity of \(X\), the modulus of smoothness of \(X\), and the James constant of \(X\) respectively. One corollary of these inequalities is a result of \textit{M.\ Baronti} and \textit{P.\ L.\ Papini} [Riv. Mat. Univ. Parma (6) 2, 171--189 (1999; Zbl 0970.46009)], obtained using different notation, that a Banach space \(X\) is uniformly nonsquare if and only if \(DW(X) < 4\). The authors also use the Dunkl-Williams constant to obtain sufficient conditions for a Banach space to have normal structure. In particular, the authors prove that a Banach space \(X\) has normal structure if \(DW(X) < (3 + 2\sqrt{2})^{1/3} + (3 - 2\sqrt{2})^{1/3}\).