Points of weak-norm continuity in the unit ball of Banach spaces (Q5957142)

Let \((B_X,w)\) be the unit ball of a Banach space together with its (relative) weak topology. It is a fundamental result of Lin, Lin and Trojanski that an extreme point of \((B_X,w)\) is a denting point if and only if it is a point of weak-norm continuity for the identity map \(I:X\rightarrow X\) restricted to \(B_X\). Recall that in spaces with the Radon-Nikodym property, \(B_X\) is the closed convex hull of its strongly exposed points. Thus, since every strongly exposed point is a denting point, there are lots of denting points in the unit balls of such spaces. Recall also the famous result of Lindenstrauss that every weakly compact convex set is the closed convex hull of its strongly exposed points. In the paper under review the contrast of the unit ball of infinite-dimensional function algebras to the unit ball in RNP-spaces and to weakly compact convex sets becomes clear in the following result: For every vector \(f\) in an infinite-dimensional function algebra there is a sequence \((f_n)\) converging to \(f\) weakly but not in norm. Note that this result implies the lack of denting points in \((B_X,w)\) when \(X\) is an infinite-dimensional function algebra, a fact shown independently and by other means by \textit{O. Nygaard} and \textit{D. Werner} [Arch. Math. 76, 441-444 (2001; Zbl 0994.46006)]. In the paper under review, the author studies the weak-norm continuity of the identity operator and establishes the following basic result: Suppose that \(M\subset X\) is an infinite-dimensional M-ideal in a Banach space \(X\) with associated L-projection \(P:X^\ast \rightarrow X^\ast\) such that \(P(B_{X^\ast})\) is weak-star dense in \(B_{X^\ast}\). If such an \(M\) is of infinite codimension in \(X\), then there are no points of weak-norm continuity in \(B_X\) nor in \(X\).