Optimal extensions of compactness properties for operators on Banach function spaces (Q266308)

The paper under review records an investigation of the interaction between extensions and compactness properties of bounded linear operators defined on a Banach function space \(X(\mu)\) consisting of (equivalence classes of) real measurable functions on a finite measure space \((\Omega,\Sigma,\mu)\). If \(E\) is a Banach space, then a bounded linear operator \(T: X(\mu)\to E\) is said to be AM-compact if it maps order bounded sets onto relatively compact sets. One of the main results of this paper (Th. 3.2) is that, if \(X(\mu)\) is order continuous and \(T\) is a \(\mu\)-determined AM-compact operator, then \(T\) admits a maximal AM-compact linear extension if and only if its corresponding integration operator \(I_{m_T}: L^1(m_T)\to \) is AM-compact. Here, \(m_T:\Sigma\to E\) is the countably additive vector measure defined by \(m_T(A):=T(\chi_A)\) for every \(A\in\Sigma\), and the condition that \(T\) is \(\mu\)-determined means that \(\mu\) and the semivariation \(\| m_T\|\) have the same null sets. Other compactness properties are also studied from the point of view of their behavior with respect to extensions, for instance, the narrow operators (whose definition would be too technical for this review) or the operators having the Dunford-Pettis property, which means that the weakly compact sets are mapped onto relatively compact sets, and an interesting open problem is also raised in this context.