Phillips' lemma for L-embedded Banach spaces (Q5962094)

Let \(X\) be an \(L\)-embedded Banach space, i.e., there is an \(\ell^1\)-decomposition of the bidual \(X^{**}=X\oplus_1 X_s\). Let \(P\) denote the corresponding \(L\)-projection from \(X^{**}\) onto~\(X\). The problem studied in the paper is whether \(P\) sends weak\(^*\) null sequences to weakly null sequences, that is, whether \(P\) is weak\(^*\)-weakly sequentially continuous. It is a classical result due to Phillips that this is so when \(X=\ell^1\), and the author extended this to duals of \(M\)-embedded spaces in his 1989 diploma thesis. Here, he proves the result in complete generality for all \(L\)-embedded spaces; it should be noted that, if \(X=Y^*\) is a dual space, then \(P\) need not be the canonical projection from \(Y^{***}\) onto \(Y^*\). By a clever construction of certain wuC series in \(X^*\), he in fact reduces the general case to the Phillips lemma. Reviewer's remark. The reader might stumble over the casual remark ``It is known that von Neumann algebras are Grothendieck spaces.'' The author modestly conceals the reference, which is his deep paper [\textit{H.\,Pfitzner}, Math.\ Ann.\ 298, No.\,2, 349--371 (1994; Zbl 0791.46035)].