Characteristic functions of Banach limits (Q630298)

The paper continues the study of the set \(\mathcal{B}\subset S_{\ell_\infty^\ast}\) of Banach limits, the key ingredient in this study being the so-called characteristic functions of Banach limits: For a Rademacher system, \(r_n(t)=\operatorname{sgn}\sin 2^n \pi t\), \(t\in (0,1)\), and \(B\in\mathcal B\), let \(f_B(t)=B(r_n(t))\), then \(f_B\) is the characteristic function of \(B\). The first result is a theorem justifying the term characteristic function saying that two Banach limits \(A\) and \(B\) are equal exactly when \(f_A(t)\leq f_B(t)\) on \((0,1)\). The next result is a theorem reporting six properties of the (rather crazy) functions \(f_B\), \(B\in\mathcal{B}\). For example, \(f_B\) is periodic with period any binary rational \(r\in(0,1)\), a consequence of this is that \(f_B\) is not measurable unless \(f_B=0\) almost everywhere in \((0,1)\). It is well known that \(\mathcal{B}\) is a weak-star closed convex subset of a face of the ball of \(\ell_\infty^\ast\). Another application of the characteristic functions of Banach limits is that \(\mathcal{B}\) is a set of diameter 2. The paper ends with some remarks putting its results into perspective of earlier work on Banach limits.