Spectral properties of operators that characterize \(\ell_\infty^{(n)}\) (Q5926229)

Let \(T\) be an operator on a fixed \(n\)-dimensional Banach space \(V\) (over \(\mathbb C\)). For a variable Banach space \(X\) containing \(V\) let \(e(T, X) := \inf\{\|\widetilde{T}\|: \widetilde{T}:X \mapsto V, \widetilde{T}_{|V} = T \}\) and \(e(T) := \sup\{e(T, X): X\supseteq V\}.\) When \(T = I_{V}\), these numbers are the relative and absolute projection constants for \(V\). A result of \textit{L. Nachbin} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 68, 28-46 (1950; Zbl 0035.35402)] states that \(e(I_V) = 1\) if and only if \(V \cong \ell^{(n)}_{\infty}\) (\(\cong\) means ``is isometric to''). In order to consider other operators on \(V\) (and allow for isometric images of \(V\)) a certain subtlety is necessary. For a fixed matrix \(A\) let \(A(V)\) denote the set of all operators \(T\) on \(V\) for which there is a basis relative to which the matrix for \(T\) is \(A\). Then \(\lambda_A(V):= \inf\{e(T)/\|T\|: T \in A(V)\}\) and \(\lambda_A^u(V):= \inf\{e(T) : T \in A(V)\}\). In an earlier paper [Linear Algebra Appl. 270, 155-169 (1988; Zbl 0898.46011)] the authors showed that \((\lambda_A(V) = 1) \Rightarrow (V \cong \ell^{(n)}_{\infty})\) holds if and only if \(A = I\) and conjectured that the implication \((\lambda_A^u(V) = 1) \Rightarrow (V \cong \ell^{(n)}_{\infty})\) holds if and only if the spectrum of \(A\) is contained in the unit circle. The main purpose of the present paper is to prove the truth of the conjecture.