Approximate smoothness in normed linear spaces (Q6104034)

Two points \(x\) and \(y\) in a normed linear space \(X\) are \textit{Birkhoff-James orthogonal} (written \(x\bot_{B}y\)) whenever \(\|x+\lambda y\|\ge \|x\|\) for all \(\lambda\in\mathbb R\). In [\textit{R. C. James}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 61, 285--292 (1947; Zbl 0037.08001)] it was shown that \textit{\(x\in X\setminus\{0\}\) is a smooth point if, and only if, \(\bot_{B}\) is right-additive at \(x\), i.e., for any \(y,z\in X\), \(x\bot_{B}y\) and \(x\bot_Bz\) implies \(x\bot_{B}(y+z)\)}. Here, the authors introduce the notion of approximative Birkhoff-James orthogonality: \(x\bot_{B}^{\varepsilon}y\) for some \(\varepsilon\in[0,1)\) whenever \(\|x+\lambda y\|\ge \|x\|-\varepsilon\|\lambda y\|\) for all \(\lambda\in\mathbb R\). In this direction, the authors also introduce the notion of \textit{approximative smoothness} (essentially, controlling the diameter of the subdifferential at each point of \(S_{X}\)) and \textit{approximative strict convexity} (this time, the diameter of the faces of \(B_X\) defined by norm-attaining elements of \(S_{X^*}\) is controlled). Some more or less expected relationships between those concepts suggested by, e.g., the Šmulyan lemma or the aforementioned result due to James, are proved. Some applications to \(2\)-dimensional regular polyhedral Banach spaces are given. The paper ends by considering the case of \(p\)-direct sums of two normed linear spaces (\(1\le p\le \infty\)). Several examples (most of them finite-dimensional) are spread along the paper.