Block diagonal polynomials (Q4517461)

Let \(E\) be a Banach space with unconditional finite-dimensional decomposition \(\{E_n\}_n\) with associated sequence of projections \(\{\Pi_n\}\), and let \(J= \{n_j\}_J\subset \mathbb{N}\) be an increasing sequence. The class \({\mathcal D}_J(^kE)\) of block diagonal \(k\)-homogeneous polynomials with respect to \(J\) consists of all \(P\in{\mathcal P}(^kE)\) such that \(P(x)= \sum^\infty_{j=1} P(\sigma_j(x))\) for all \(x\in E\); here, \(\sigma_j= \Pi_{n_j}- \Pi_{n_{j-1}}\). As observed by the authors, a key tool in this paper is a reformulation of Theorem 13 of \textit{V. Dimant} and \textit{S. Dineen} [Math. Scand. 83, No. 1, 142-160 (1988; Zbl 0935.46048)]: For \(P\in{\mathcal P}(^kE)\), there is a constant \(C>0\) such that for every \(J\) as above, \[ \sum^\infty_{j=1}|P(\sigma_j(x))|\leq C\|x\|^k. \] Using this, the authors show that if there is a \(k\)-homogeneous polynomial which is not weakly sequentially continuous at \(0\), then there is also a block diagonal polynomial which has the same property. From this it follows that \({\mathcal D}_J(^kE)\) contains a copy of \(\ell_\infty\). The authors next specialize to the simplest type of block diagonal polynomials, namely the diagonal polynomials \({\mathcal D}(^kE)\) which arise when \(E\) has an unconditional basis and we take \(J=\mathbb{N}\). Among a number of interesting results, they show that for a certain \(E= d_*(w;1)\times d(w;1)\), every \(P\in{\mathcal D}(^kE)\) is weakly sequentially continuous, although there is a 2-homogeneous polynomial on \(E\) which is not weakly sequentially continuous. An application is given to the so-called polynomial algebras \({\mathcal A}_k(E)\), generated by polynomials of degree at most \(k\) on \(E\), with the sup-norm on \(B_E\). The authors prove the following theorem: Let \(E\) have finite-dimensional decomposition and not contain \(\ell_1\). Let \(N= \sup\{k\in \mathbb{N}:\) every \(k\)-homogeneous polynomial \(P\) is weakly sequentially continuous\}. If \(N<\infty\), then \(\overline{\mathcal A}_1(E)=\cdots= \overline{\mathcal A}_N(E)\subsetneq \overline{\mathcal A}_{N+1}(E)\subsetneq \overline{\mathcal A}_{N+2}(E)\subsetneq\cdots\), while if \(N= \infty\), \(\overline{\mathcal A}_1(E)=\cdots= \overline{\mathcal A}_N(E)= \cdots\)\ . Reviewer's remark: See also ``Sets of weak sequential continuity for polynomials'', (to appear) by the first author and the reviewer for related material.