Multiplication operators on \(L(L_{p})\) and \(\ell_{p}\)-strictly singular operators (Q952516)

Let \(X\) be a Banach space and \(A,B\) be operators in \(L(X)\). Then the operators \(L_A\) and \(R_B\) are defined on \(L(X)\) by \(L_AT = AT\), \(R_BT = TB\). The operators \(L_AR_B\) are called multiplication operators in \(L(L(X))\). Let \(L_p\) be \(L_p(0, 1)\) or, equivalently, \(L_p(\mu)\) for a purely non atomic separable probability measure \(\mu\). If \(T\) is a bounded linear operator on \(L_p\), \(1<p<\infty\), then \(T\) is said to be \(\ell _p\)-strictly singular if there do not exist operators \(S_1 \in L(L_p, \ell _p)\) and \(S_2 \in L(\ell _p, L_p)\) such that \(I_{\ell _p}= S_1TS_2\). First, it is shown that, if \(2<p<\infty\) and \(A\) and \(B\) are bounded linear operators on \(L_p\), then a multiplication operator \(L_AR_B\) on \(L(L_p)\) is weakly compact if and only if one of the following conditions hold: (a) \(A\) is compact; (b) \(A\) is \(\ell _p\)-strictly singular and \(B\) is \(\ell _2\)-strictly singular; (c) \(B\) is compact. This answers a question on multiplication operators in \(L(L_p)\), \(1<p<\infty\), raised by \textit{E.\,Saksman} and \textit{H.--O.\thinspace Tylli} [Math.\ Scand.\ 70, No.\,1, 91--111 (1992; Zbl 0760.47019)]. Using ultrapowers of Banach spaces, the authors prove the main result of the paper: Let \(T\) be an \(\ell _p\)-strictly singular operator of \(L_p\), \(1<p<2\). If \(X\) is a subspace of \(L_p\) and \(T|_X\) is an isomorphism, then \(X\) embeds into \(L_r\) for all \(r<2\). They also give an example to show that \(X\) need not be isomorphic to a Hilbert space. Let \(T\) be a convolution of a biased coin on \(L_p(\bigtriangleup)\), \(1\leq p<2\), where \(\bigtriangleup=\{-1,1\}^{\mathbb N}\) is the Cantor group and the measure is the Haar measure on \(\bigtriangleup\). If \(T|_X\) is an isomorphism for some reflexive subspace \(X\) of \(L_p\), then they show that \(X\) is isomorphic to a Hilbert space. The case \(p=1\) also answers a question asked by H.\,P.\thinspace Rosenthal in 1976.