Criterion for the existence of finite-dimensional Chebyshev subspaces in \(L_{\phi}\) spaces (Q2640817)

Let \(\phi: {\mathbb{R}}\to [0,\infty)\) be an even, non-decreasing and concave on \([0,\infty)\) function such that \(\phi (0)=0\) and \(\phi (u)>0\) for \(u>0\). For a space with the measure (T,\(\Omega\),m) the set of all equivalence classes of measurable functions f: \(T\to R\), such that \(\int_{T}\phi (f)dm<\infty\), well be denoted by \(L_{\phi}\). This vector space is endowed with the metric \(d(f,g)=\int_{T}\phi (g-f)dm.\) For an element \(f\in L_{\phi}\) and a set \(S\subset L_{\phi}\) the projection of f on S is \(P_ Sf=\{g\in S:\) \(d(f,g)=\inf_{h\in S}d(f,h)\}\). If card \(P_ Sf=1\) for all \(f\in L_{\phi}\), then the set S is called Chebyshev set. In 1938 M. G. Krein proved that in \(L_ 1[a,b]\) there are no nontrivial Chebyshev subspaces of finite dimension. This result was generalized on the space \(L_ 1(T,\Omega,m)\) with non- atomic measure by \textit{R. R. Phelps} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 95, 238-255 (1960; Zbl 0096.311)]. We are to remind that the atom of measure m is any set \(\sigma\in \Omega\) of finite positive measure, such that either \(m(F)=0\) or \(m(F)=m(\sigma)\) for all \(F\subset \sigma\), \(F\in \Omega\). The following result is obtained in the paper. Theorem. For the space \(L_{\phi}(T,\Omega,m)\) to have a Chebyshev subspace of dimension n is necessary and sufficient that the space (T,\(\Omega\),m) has at least n atoms. In the case \(\phi (u)=| u|\) the theorem was proved by \textit{A. L. Garkavi} [Am. Math. Soc., Transl., II. Ser. 96, 153-175 (1970; Zbl 0214.380)].