On the geometry of von Neumann algebra preduals (Q740824)

If \(\mu\) is a non-atomic measure, then the unit sphere of \(L_1(\mu)\) fails to possess any extreme points; in fact, every point of the unit sphere is even the midpoint of a segment of length~\(2\) in the unit sphere; i.e., \[ \forall \varphi\in L_1(\mu) \;\exists \psi\in L_1(\mu) \quad \|\varphi\pm\psi\| = \|\varphi\| = \|\psi\|. \eqno(1) \] The authors investigate this phenomenon in the setting of non-commutative \(L_1\)-spaces, that is, preduals \(M_*\) of von Neumann algebras~\(M\). They prove that (1) holds for \(M_*\) if \(M\) does not contain type I or type III\(_1\) factors as direct summands and that (1) fails if \(M\) is the hyperfinite III\(_1\) factor. On the other hand, they show that if (and only if) \(M\) is diffuse, (1) is always fulfilled ``up to~\(\varepsilon\)'': \[ \forall \varepsilon>0 \;\forall \varphi\in M_* \;\exists \psi_\varepsilon\in M_* \quad \|\varphi\| = \|\psi_\varepsilon\|,\;\bigl| \|\varphi\pm\psi_\varepsilon\| - \|\varphi\| \bigr| < \varepsilon. \] They further point out that (1) for the predual of a von Neumann algebra is equivalent to the existence of girth curves (i.e., curves of length~\(2\) in the unit sphere connecting a point \(\varphi\) and \(-\varphi\)). In the last section, the authors consider ultraproducts and show that, for preduals of von Neumann algebras, the Daugavet property is equivalent to the uniform Daugavet property, correcting the proof of Theorem~5.6 in [\textit{J. Becerra Guerrero} and \textit{M. Martín}, J. Funct. Anal. 224, No. 2, 316--337 (2005; Zbl 1081.46009)].