A class of \(P\)-convex spaces lacking normal structure (Q412656)

Whether superreflexive Banach spaces have the fixed point property for nonexpansive mappings is a long-standing open question in metric fixed point theory. In this article, the question is considered in the context of \(P\)-convex Banach spaces, a subclass of the superreflexive spaces. \(P\)-convex Banach spaces were introduced by \textit{C.\ A.\ Kottman} [Trans.\ Am.\ Math.\ Soc.\ 150, 565--576 (1970; Zbl 0208.37503)] in terms of the tightest packing of balls of equal size in the unit ball of a Banach space. In [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 344, No. 2, 851--856 (2008; Zbl 1155.46008)], \textit{S.\ Saejung} proved that, if \(X\) is a \(P\)-convex Banach space, then its dual space \(X^*\) has uniform normal structure, and thus \(X^*\) satisfies the fixed point property for nonexpansive mappings. In the article under review, the author proves that there exist \(P\)-convex Banach spaces without normal structure. In particular, define \(E_\beta\) to be the space \(\ell^2\) endowed with the norm \(\| \cdot\|_\beta = \max\{\|\cdot\|_2, \beta \|\cdot\|_\infty\}\). The author proves that \(E_\beta\) is \(P\)-convex for every \(\beta\). Since it is known that \(E_\beta\) has normal structure if and only if \(\beta<\sqrt{2}\), the author's result provides examples of \(P\)-convex Banach spaces without normal structure. As the author notes, it is known that \(E_\beta\) satisfies the fixed point property for nonexpansive mappings for every \(\beta\); so, although the results in this article eliminate one method of deciding if \(P\)-convex Banach spaces have the fixed point property, the question remains open and interesting.