Geometry of integral polynomials, \(M\)-ideals and unique norm preserving extensions (Q765915)

Let \({\mathcal P}_I(^kX)\), \(k>1\), be the space of all integral \(k\)-homogeneous polynomials over a (real or complex) Banach space \(X\). The first result of this interesting paper asserts that, if \(X\) is a real Banach space, the set of real extreme points of the unit ball of \({\mathcal P}_I(^kX)\) is \(\{\pm \phi^k:\phi \in S_{X^*}\}\). This improves a result obtained by \textit{C. Boyd} and \textit{S. Lassalle} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 138, No. 4, 1415--1420 (2010; Zbl 1230.46040)], where additional hypotheses were required. As an application, the following surprising results are proved: if the real Banach space \(X\) is not reflexive, then \({\widehat\bigotimes}_{\epsilon_{k,s}}^{k,s}X\), the \(k\)-th symmetric tensor product of \(X\) endowed with the injective symmetric tensor norm, is not an \(M\)-ideal in \({\widehat\bigotimes}_{\epsilon_{k,s}}^{k,s}X^{**}\); and, similarly, if \(X\) and \(Y\) are real Banach spaces and \(X\) is a nontrivial \(M\)-ideal in \(Y\), then \({\widehat\bigotimes}_{\epsilon_{k,s}}^{k,s}X\) is not an \(M\)-ideal in \({\widehat\bigotimes}_{\epsilon_{k,s}}^{k,s}Y\). This establishes a deep difference with nonsymmetric tensor products, for which being \(M\)-ideal is stable under the formation of complete injective tensor products. It is well known that every linear functional defined on an \(M\)-ideal in a Banach space \(Y\) has a unique norm preserving extension to a functional in \(Y^*\). Even though the \(M\)-structure for symmetric tensors fails, the authors prove that, if \(X\) is an Asplund space which is an \(M\)-ideal in a Banach space \(Y\), then every integral \(k\)-homogeneous polynomial in \(X\) has a unique extension to \(Y\) that preserves the integral norm. This extension is constructed by means of the Aron-Berner extension. Among other results, it is also proved that, if \(X\) is a Banach space that contains a subspace isomorphic to \(\ell_1\) and whose dual has the metric approximation property, then the quotient space \({\mathcal P}_I(^kX)/{\mathcal P}_N(^kX)\) is nonseparable, where \({\mathcal P}_N(^kX)\) is the space of all nuclear \(k\)-homogeneous polynomials. To achieve this result, the case \(X=\ell_1\) is considered first. For \(\beta_k\) a finitely generated \(s\)-tensor norm of order \(k\), let \({\mathcal P}_{\beta_k}\) be the polynomial ideal dual to this tensor norm. That is, for a Banach space \(X\), \({\mathcal P}_{\beta_k}(^kX)=({\widehat\bigotimes}_{\beta_k}^{k,s}X)^*\). The authors examine the local geometry of the bidual of \({\widehat\bigotimes}_{\beta_{k}}^{k,s}X\). They introduce a canonical application \(\Theta_{\beta_k}\) from \({\widehat\bigotimes}_{\beta_{k}}^{k,s}X^{**}\) into \(({\widehat\bigotimes}_{\beta_{k}}^{k,s}X)^{**}\) and investigate when this application is an isomorphism. Consequences in the holomorphic setting are also considered. This study is used to find necessary and sufficient conditions that assure that a given \(k\)-homogeneous polynomial belonging to a maximal polynomial ideal \({\mathcal Q}(^kX)\) has a unique norm preserving extensions in \({\mathcal Q}(^kX^{**})\). The related case of the ideal of continuous homogeneous polynomials was first considered by \textit{R. Aron, C. Boyd} and \textit{Y. S. Choi} [J. Aust. Math. Soc. 70, No. 3, 387--400 (2001; Zbl 1036.46032)]. In the spirit of \textit{R. M. Aron} and \textit{S. Dineen} [Rocky Mt. J. Math. 27, No. 4, 1009--1025 (1997; Zbl 0916.46011)], the authors define a Banach space \(X\) to be \(Q_{\beta}^k\)-reflexive if \(\Theta_{\beta_k}^*:{\mathcal P}_{\beta_k}(^kX)^{**}\to{\mathcal P}_{\beta_k}(^kX^{**})\) is an isomorphism. \(Q_{\beta}^k\)-reflexivity is studied and examples are provided.