\((I)\)-envelopes of closed convex sets in Banach spaces (Q926403)

In [Isr.\ J.\ Math.\ 136, 157--172 (2003; Zbl 1046.46014)], \textit{V.\,Fonf} and \textit{J.\,Lindenstrauss} introduced the notion of \((I)\)-generating set: a subset \(B\) of a dual Banach space \((I)\)-generates the weak\(^\ast\) compact convex set \(K\) if whenever \(B = \bigcup_{n=1}^\infty C_n\), then \(K\) is the norm closed convex hull of \(\bigcup_{n=1}^\infty \overline{\text{ conv}\,C_n}^{w^\ast}\). In the present paper, the author defines the notion of \((I)\)-envelope \((I)\text{-env}\,(B)\) for subsets \(B\) of dual Banach spaces. One always has \[ \overline{\text{ conv}\,B}^{\| \;\| } \subseteq (I)\text{-env}\,(B) \subseteq \overline{\text{ conv}\,B}^{w^\ast}, \] and \((I)\text{-env}\,(B) = \overline{\text{ conv}\,B}^{\| \;\| }\) if \(B\) is norm separable. One of the main results of the quoted paper of V.\,Fonf and J.\,Lindenstrauss is that, for every weak\(^\ast\) compact convex set \(K\) of a dual Banach space, one has \(K = (I)\text{-env}\,(B)\) if \(B\) is a boundary of \(K\). This result allows to get the separable James Theorem (characterization of weak compactness). The goal of the paper under review is to study the notion of \((I)\)-generation for nonseparable Banach spaces. The author shows that every element of \((I)\text{-env}\,(B)\) is weak\(^\ast\) sequentially continuous, and that, if \(X\) is a Banach space whose dual unit ball is angelic, for the weak\(^\ast\) topology (in particular, if \(X\) is weakly Lindelöf determined), then \((I)\text{-env}\,(B) = B\) for every closed convex set \(B \subseteq X\) (the \((I)\)-envelope being taken in \(X^{\ast\ast}\)). On the other hand, he proves that if \((I)\text{-env}\,(B_X) = B_{X^{\ast\ast}}\), then \(X\) has the Grothendieck property: weak and weak\(^\ast\) convergence of sequences are the same (the author indicates that this last result was independently found by \textit{O.\,Nygaard} [Ann.\ Math.\ Inform.\ 32, 125--127 (2005; Zbl 1113.46005)]). As a corollary, he gets that if \(X\) is a weak Asplund space such that \((I)\text{-env}\,(B_X) = B_{X^{\ast\ast}}\), then \(X\) is reflexive. However, for \(X = \ell_\infty\), he shows that \((I)\text{-env}\,(B_X) = B_{X^{\ast\ast}}\). The paper ends with several questions, which have been answered, as indicated by the author, by himself in [Stud.\ Math.\ 182, No.\,1, 29--40 (2007; Zbl 1139.46018)].