Bidual of a normed space ($X^{\ast \ast }$)

The bidual of a normed vector space $X$ is the continuous dual $X^{\ast \ast }=(X^{\ast }{)}^{\ast }$. Evaluation defines the canonical embedding into the bidual $J_X(x)(f)=f(x)$. The norm inequality gives $\Vert J_{X}x\Vert \le \Vert x\Vert$, and a norming functional from the Hahn-Banach theorem gives equality. Thus $J_X$ is isometric, and its image is dense in its closure, a completion of a normed space.