The research in this thesis was initially motivated by an outstanding problem posed by Argyros and Haydon. They used a generalised version of the Bourgain-Delbaen construction to construct a Banach space $XK$ for which the only bounded linear operators on $XK$ are compact perturbations of (scalar multiples of) the identity; we say that a space with this property has very few operators. The space $XK$ possesses a number of additional interesting properties, most notably, it has $ell_1$ dual. Since $ell_1$ possesses the Schur property, weakly compact and norm compact operators on $XK$ coincide. Combined with the other properties of the Argyros-Haydon space, it is tempting to conjecture that such a space must necessarily have very few operators. Curiously however, the proof that $XK$ has very few operators made no use of the Schur property of $ell_1$. We therefore arrive at the following question (originally posed in cite{AH}): must a HI, $mathcal{L}_{infty}$, $ell_1$ predual with few operators (every operator is a strictly singular perturbation of $lambda I$) necessarily have very few operators? We begin by giving a detailed exposition of the original Bourgain-Delbaen construction and the generalised construction due to Argyros and Haydon. We show how these two constructions are related, and as a corollary, are able to prove that there exists some $delta > 0$ and an uncountable set of isometries on the original Bourgain-Delbaen spaces which are pairwise distance $delta$ apart. We subsequently extend these ideas to obtain our main results. We construct new Banach spaces of Bourgain-Delbaen type, all of which have $ell_1$ dual. The first class of spaces are HI and possess few, but not very few operators. We thus have a negative solution to the Argyros-Haydon question. We remark that all these spaces have finite dimensional Calkin algebra, and we investigate the corollaries of this result. We also construct a space with $ell_1$ Calkin algebra and show that whilst this space is still of Bourgain-Delbaen type with $ell_1$ dual, it behaves somewhat differently to the first class of spaces. Finally, we briefly consider shift-invariant $ell_1$ preduals, and hint at how one might use the Bourgain-Delbaen construction to produce new, exotic examples.

For many years mathematicians have been interested in the problem of whether an operator ideal is complemented in the space of all bounded linear operators. In this dissertation the complementation of various classes of operators in the space of all bounded linear operators is considered. This paper begins with a preliminary discussion of linear bounded operators as well as operator ideals. Let L(X, Y ) be a Banach space of all bounded linear operator between Banach spaces X and Y , K(X, Y ) be the space of all compact operators, and W(X, Y ) be the space of all weakly compact operators. We denote space all operator ideals by O.

In this dissertation we study the structure of spaces of operators, especially the space of all compact operators between two Banach spaces X and Y. Work by Kalton, Emmanuele, Bator and Lewis on the space of compact and weakly compact operators motivates much of this paper. Let L(X,Y) be the Banach space of all bounded linear operators between Banach spaces X and Y, K(X,Y) be the space of all compact operators, and W(X,Y) be the space of all weakly compact operators. We study problems related to the complementability of different operator ideals (the Banach space of all compact, weakly compact, completely continuous, resp. unconditionally converging) operators in the space of all bounded linear operators. The structure of Dunford-Pettis sets, strong Dunford-Pettis sets, and certain spaces of operators is studied in the context of the injective and projective tensor products of Banach spaces. Bibasic sequences are used to study relative norm compactness of strong Dunford-Pettis sets. Next, we use Dunford-Pettis sets to give sufficient conditions for K(X,Y) to contain c0.

First we define microscopic sets on the real axis and study their relation to the sets of Hausdorff and Lebesgue measure zero and the sets of first category. In the second part, we prove the Ekeland's variational principle and its equivalence with the the Daneš's drop theorem, the Brézis-Browder's theorem, the Phelps' lemma and the Caristi-Kirks's theorem. Furthermore, we discuss its relation to the Bishop-Phelps' theorem. Doing so we define the notion of a drop as the convex hull of a set and a point. In the third part we prove that the drop property equals reflexivity in some sense. A space has the drop property if it is possible to find the drop from the Daneš's theorem even in a more general case than the theorem itself guarantees. Furthermore, we characterize this property using the approximative compactness. Last, we study the microscopic drop property that is more relaxed than the original drop property. We find out that those two notions are for certain sets in reflexive spaces equivalent.

Probability theory plays a crucial role in the study of the geometry of Banach spaces. In the literature, notions from probability theory have been formulated and studied in the measure free setting of vector lattices. However, there is little evidence of these vector lattice techniques being used in the study of geometry of Banach spaces. In this thesis, we fill this niche. Using the l-tensor product of Chaney-Shaefer, we are able to extend the available vector lattice techniques and apply them to the Lebesgue-Bochner spaces. As a consequence, we obtain new characterizations of the Radon Nikod´ym property and the UMD property.

Neste trabalho fazemos um estudo do conceito de soma torcida de F-espaços. Apresentamos algumas propriedades e simplificações na construção de somas torcidas de F-espaços localmente limitados. Em particular, estudamos uma condição suficiente para que uma soma torcida de espaços de Banach seja um espaço de Banach. Finalmente aplicamos esses conceitos para definir o espaço construído por N. J. Kalton, que é um exemplo de um espaço de Banach não isomorfo ao conjugado complexo. Este espaço X de Kalton corresponde a uma soma torcida de espaços de Hilbert, isto é, X possui um subespaço fechado E tal que E e X/E são isomorfos a espaços de Hilbert. / In this work we study the concept of twisted sum of F-spaces. We also study some properties and simplifications in the construction of twisted sums of locally bounded F-spaces. In particular, we study a sufficient condition for a twisted sum of Banach spaces to be a Banach space. Finally we apply these concepts to define the space constructed by N. J. Kalton, which is an example of a Banach space not isomorphic to its complex conjugate. The Kalton space X is a twisted sum of Hilbert spaces, i.e. X has a closed subspace E such that E and X/E are isomorphic to Hilbert spaces.

Esta dissertação tem por objetivo a apresentação de um estudo em espaços de Banach sobre os conjuntos nos quais determinados polinômios homogêneos contínuos são fracamente sequencialmente contínuos. Algumas propriedades desses conjuntos são estudadas e ilustradas com exemplos, em maior parte no espaço $l_p$. Obtemos um fórmula para o conjunto de continuidade sequencial fraca do produto de dois polinômios e algumas consequências. Resultados mais fortes são obtidos quando restringimos nossos espaços de Banach a espaços com FDD incondicional e/ou separáveis. Os resultados estudados aqui foram obtidos por R. Aron e V. Dimant em: Aron, R. & Dimant, V., Sets of weak sequential continuity for polynomials, Indag. Mathem., N.S., 13 (3) (2002), 287-299. / This work has the purpose of presenting a study on Banach spaces about sets in which determined homogeneous continuous polynomials are weakly sequentially continuous. Some properties of these sets are studied and illustrated with examples, most in the space $l_p$. We obtain a formula for the weak sequential continuity set of the product of two polynomials, and some consequences. Stronger results are obtained when we restrict our Banach spaces to spaces with unconditional FDD and/or separable. The results studied here were obtained by R. Aron and V. Dimant in: Aron, R. & Dimant, V., {Sets of weak sequential continuity for polynomials, Indag. Mathem., N.S., 13 (3) (2002), 287-299.

Spectral theory, mathematical system theory, evolution equations, differential and difference equations [electronic resource] : 21st International Workshop on Operator Theory and Applications, Berlin, July 2010.It is known that lattice homomorphisms and G-solvable positive operators on Banach lattices have cyclic peripheral spectrum (See [17]). In my thesis I prove that positive contractions whose spectral radius is 1 on Banach lattices with increasing norm have cyclic peripheral point spectrum. I also prove that if the Banach lattice is a K B space satisfying the growth conditon and º is an eigenvalue of a positive contraction T such that [º] = 1, then 1 is also an eigenvalue of T as well as an eigenvalue of T¨, the dual of T. I also investigate the conditions on contraction operators on Hilbert lattices and AL-spaces which guanantee that 1 is an eigenvalue. As we know from [17], if T : E-E is a positive ideal irreducible operator on E such the r (T) = 1 is a pole of the resolvent R(º, T), then r (T) is simple pole with dimN (T -r(T)I) and ºper(T) is cyclic. Also all points of ºper(T) are simple poles of the resolvent R(º,T). SInce band irreducibility and º-order continuity do not imply ideal irreducibility [2], we prove the analogous results for band irreducible, º-order continuous operators. / by Cheban P. Acharya. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal aplicar elementos de teoria dos conjuntos no estudo de sistemas biortogonais em espaços de Banach. Inicialmente, estudamos o Teorema de Markushevic, que garante que todo espaço de Banach separável admite um sistema biortogonal enumerável. Assim, partimos para o estudo de espaços de Banach não separáveis, mais especificamente, estudamos a existência de sistemas biortogonais não enumeráveis em espaços de Banach da forma C(K), com K compacto Hausdorff não metrizável. Nesta direção, estudamos dois teoremas devido a S. Todorcevic. O primeiro teorema nos dá condições que um compacto Hausdorff K deve satisfazer de tal modo que o respectivo espaço de Banach C(K) possua sistemas biortogonais não enumeráveis. O segundo teorema nos diz que, assumindo o Axioma de Martin, todo espaço de Banach não separável da forma C(K) possui um sistema biortogonal não enumerável. Em seguida, consideramos algumas funções cardinais definidas por P. Koszmider para espaços de Banach, associadas aos sistemas biortogonais e estudamos suas relações com funções cardinais conhecidas. Em particular, obtemos um resultado original que relaciona o peso de um espaço compacto Hausdorff K com o tamanho de tipos especiais de sistemas biortogonais em C(K), generalizando um resultado de S. Todorcevic sobre álgebras de Boole. Finalmente, construímos um espaço de Ostaszewski K usando o Princípio Diamante. O espaço K é um compacto disperso não metrizável tal que todas suas potências finitas são hereditariamente separáveis. Este espaço é um exemplo consistente de um espaço compacto Hausdorff não metrizável tal que o respectivo espaço de Banach C(K) não admite sistemas biortogonais não enumeráveis. / The main purpose of this work is to apply elements of set theory to the study of biorthogonal systems in Banach spaces. Initially, we study Markushevic\'s Theorem, which ensures that every separable Banach space has a countable biorthogonal system. With this result, we focus our attention to the study of nonseparable Banach spaces, more especifically, we study the existence of uncountable biorthogonal systems in Banach spaces of the form C(K), with K a nonmetrizable compact Hausdorff space. In this direction, we study two theorems of S. Todorcevic. The first one gives us sufficient conditions that a compact Hausdorff space K must satisfy in order to get that the respective Banach space C(K) has an uncountable biorthogonal system. The second one tells us that under Martin\'s Axiom, every nonseparable Banach space of the form C(K) has an uncountable biorthogonal system. Next, we consider some cardinal functions defined by P. Koszmider for Banach spaces, related with biorthogonal systems, and we study its relations with well - known cardinal functions. In particular, we obtain an original result relating the weight of a compact Hausdorff space K to the size of certain biorthogonal systems in C(K), generalizing a result of S. Todorcevic for Boolean algebras. Finally, we construct an Ostaszewski space K using the Diamond Principle. The compact space K is a scattered nonmetrizable Hausdorff space such that all its finite powers are hereditarily separable. This space is a consistent example of a nonmetrizable compact Hausdorff space such that the respective Banach space C(K) does not have an uncountable biorthogonal system.

O principal objetivo desse trabalho é o estudo da questão da existência de isomorfismos entre as classes de Baire sobre [0,1]. Para isso, desenvolvemos os principais resultados concernentes às relações entre as classes de Baire sobre [0,1]. A saber: (1) As classes de Baire são isométricas como álgebras de Banach a espaços da forma C(K); (2) As classes de Baire são subespaços próprios umas das outras, até o primeiro ordinal não enumerável, onde elas estabilizam; (3) As classes de Baire não são subespaços complementados umas das outras; (4) As classes de Baire não são isométricas umas às outras como espaços de Banach. Por fim, apresentamos as respostas conhecidas para a questão isomórfica, sendo que para tal, utilizamos os resultados mencionados acima. / The main purpose of this work is the study of the question about the existence of isomorphisms between the Baire classes on [0,1]. In order to do that, we develop the most important results concerning the relations between the Baire classes on [0,1]. Those results are: (1) The Baire classes are isometric as Banach algebras to spaces of the form C(K); (2) The Baire classes are proper subspaces each one of the others, until the first uncountable ordinal, when they stabilise; (3) The Baire classes aren\'t complemented subspaces each one of the others; (4) There aren\'t linear isometries between the Baire classes. Finally we presente the known answers to the isomorphic question, using for this the results mentioned above.