The universality of \(\ell _{1}\) as a dual space (Q637597)

The authors prove three main theorems. Theorem~A: Every Banach space with separable dual embeds into an \({\mathcal L}_\infty\) space whose dual is isomorphic to \(\ell_1\). This theorem was conjectured by Alspach and it implies in particular, through a result of \textit{P. Dodos} [``On classes of Banach spaces admitting `small' universal spaces'', Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 361, No.~12, 6407--6428 (2009; Zbl 1191.46011)], that the class of \({\mathcal L}_\infty\) spaces with separable dual is universal for the class of all Banach spaces with separable dual. Theorem~B: Given two totally incomparable infinite dimensional Banach spaces \(X\) and \(U\) with separable dual, there exists an \({\mathcal L}_\infty\) Banach space \(Z\) whose dual is isomorphic to \(\ell_1\) and such that \(X\) embeds into \(Z\) and \(Z\) and \(U\) are totally incomparable. This theorem (with \(U = c_0\)) solves the longstanding open problem of showing that if \(X\) is a Banach space with separable dual and does not contain \(c_0\), then \(X\) embeds into a Banach space with a shrinking basis, which does not contain \(c_0\). Theorem~C: Every reflexive Banach space \(X\) embeds into a somewhat reflexive \({\mathcal L}_\infty\) Banach space \(Z\) whose dual is isomorphic to \(\ell_1\). Moreover, if \(X\) is totally incomparable with some Banach space \(U\) with separable dual, then \(Z\) can be chosen to be also totally incomparable with \(U\). In particular, this theorem (with \(U = c_0\)) answers a question of Alspach in showing that there are \({\mathcal L}_\infty\) spaces not containing \(c_0\) but with arbitrarily high Szlenk index. The authors use the Bourgain-Delbaen construction of \({\mathcal L}_\infty\) spaces, as presented by \textit{S.~Argyros} and \textit{R.G.~Haydon} [``A hereditarily indecomposable \({\mathcal L}_{\infty}\)-space that solves the scalar-plus-compact problem'', Acta Math. 206, No. 1, 1--54 (2011; Zbl 1223.46007)], as well as Zippin's embedding theorem saying that every Banach space with separable dual embeds into a space with shrinking basis [\textit{M. Zippin}, ``Banach spaces with separable duals'', Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 310, No.~1, 371--379 (1988; Zbl 0706.46015)], or more precisely the quantified (with Szlenk index and estimates related to Tsirelson spaces) version of \textit{D. Freeman}, \textit{E. Odell}, \textit{Th. Schlumprecht} and \textit{A. Zsák} [``Banach spaces of bounded Szlenk index. II'', Fundam. Math. 205, No.~2, 161--177 (2009; Zbl 1188.46007)] and the quantified reflexive version of \textit{E. Odell}, \textit{Th. Schlumprecht} and \textit{A. Zsák} [``Banach spaces of bounded Szlenk index'', Stud. Math. 183, No.~1, 63--97 (2007; Zbl 1138.46005)]. To prove Theorems B and C, they need to make \textit{augmentations} of sequences of Bourgain-Delbaen sets.