On the positive approximation property (Q331754)

Let \(X\) and \(Y\) be Banach lattices and let \(L^r(X,Y)\) with norm \(\|\cdot\|_r\) be the Banach space of all regular operators from \(X\) to \(Y\) (i.e., operators that can be written as the difference of two positive linear operators). Let \(X' = L^r(X,\mathbb{R})\) denote the dual of \(X\) and \(F(X,Y)\) the space of finite rank operator from \(X\) to \(Y\). Let \(E\) be a finite-dimensional vector sublattice of a Banach lattice \(X\). If \(e\) is a strong order unit for \(E\), then the ordered pair \((E,e)\) is called a principal pair of \(X\). A Banach lattice \(X\) has the lattice approximation property (LAP) if, for every \(\varepsilon > 0\) and every sequence \((E_n,e_n)\) of principal pairs of \(X\) such that \(\|e_n\| \to 0\), there exists \(T \in F(X)\) such that \(\| | (T-\mathrm{id})_{E_n} | (e_n) \| \leq \varepsilon\) (\(n \in \mathbb{N}\)). It is shown that the LAP implies the (Grothendieck) approximation property and that the positive approximation property implies the LAP. If \(X\) is Dedekind complete, then the positive approximation property and the LAP are equivalent. For a Dedekind complete Banach lattice \(X\) it is shown that \(X\) has the LAP if and only if, for every Banach lattice \(Y\), the natural linear injection from the positive projective tensor product \(Y' \otimes_{|\pi|} X\) into \(L^r(X,Y)\) is one-to-one. Bounded variants of the LAP and the notion of a regular integral operator are also introduced and studied. It is shown that the bidual of the regular approximable operators on \(X\), \(A^r(X)''\), and \(L^r(X'', X'')\) are isometrically isomorphic as Riesz spaces if and only if \(X'\) satisfies the metric LAP and \(F(X,X)\) is dense in the ideal of regular integral operators on \(X'\).