Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 106 3 Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
LetChoose positive with . We construct inductively. Once has been chosen, compactness of its unit sphere gives finitely many members of that almost norm every vector of . Because , the next may be chosen so that all those functionals are as small on it as required. Choosing the error relative to givesfor all scalars . Indeed, if the last coefficient could threaten this estimate, first bounds that coefficient by a fixed multiple of the norm of the preceding sum; the selected norming functional then gives the displayed inequality. Iteration and the finite product bound satisfy the standard basis criterion, so is a basic sequence contained in .
The same proof works for any Hausdorff locally convex vector topology weaker than the weak topology: on each finite-dimensional , the -continuous linear functionals still norm the space, and supplies the next point. A canonical strictly weaker example arises on when is not reflexive: the weak-star topology is then strictly weaker than the weak topology .
We next prove the Eberlein-Smulian theorem. If the weak closure of a bounded set is weakly compact, take any sequence in and let be its closed linear span. The relevant weak closure lies in the separable space . A countable weak-star dense subset of the dual unit ball separates points of this compact set, so its weak topology is metrizable. Compact metrizability gives a weakly convergent subsequence.
For the converse, suppose is not relatively weakly compact. In the canonical embedding into , chooseThe Hahn-Banach theorem gives that vanishes on but satisfies . Alternating Goldstine approximation with the fact that lies in the weak-star closure of constructs bounded and such that, up to errors tending to zero,If a subsequence converged weakly to , then for each fixed the second relation would give . A weak-star cluster point of the bounded sequence satisfies by the first relation, and hence by weak convergence; but passing to the same cluster point in gives . This contradiction produces a sequence in with no weakly convergent subsequence. Relative weak compactness is therefore equivalent to the subsequence condition.
Finally suppose is weakly sequentially compact and . If lies in the norm closure of , a norm-convergent sequence suffices. Otherwise apply the first part to and obtain a basic sequence . A subsequence converges weakly by hypothesis. Its weak limit lies in the closed span of the basic sequence, while every coordinate functional is eventually zero on that subsequence. The limit is consequently zero, so the corresponding sequence from converges weakly to .
This also shows that a weakly sequentially compact is weakly closed: any point of its weak closure is the limit of a sequence in , and a weakly convergent subsequence has its limit in . The relative form of the Eberlein-Smulian theorem then makes weakly compact. The reverse implication follows from the first direction of that theorem. Thus weak compactness and weak sequential compactness are equivalent.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 106 4 Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
A linear map is a weakly compact operator when is relatively weakly compact. Every weakly compact subset of a Banach space is norm bounded, soThus even without assuming continuity initially, a weakly compact linear map is bounded.
The key bidual criterion isFor the forward implication, approximate weak-star by points using the Goldstine theorem. Weak compactness supplies a subnet for which converges weakly to some , while weak-star continuity of makes converge to . Hence . Conversely, if the displayed inclusion holds, the weak-star compact set lies in , where the inherited weak-star topology is the weak topology of . It is a weakly compact set containing .
If is weakly compact and , restriction of to defines . For ,so . The bidual criterion makes weakly compact. Conversely, if is weakly compact, then . Every annihilating is sent to zero, so every lies inThe criterion makes weakly compact. Hence is weakly compact exactly when is.
The bidual criterion also proves the structure of . It is closed under linear combinations. If in operator norm and every is weakly compact, then in norm; the canonical copy is norm closed, so is weakly compact. For bounded composable maps and , the image condition for proves the ideal property. Thus the weakly compact operators form a norm-closed operator ideal.
The Krein-Smulian theorem states that the norm-closed convex hull of a weakly compact set is weakly compact. To prove it, view as a compact Hausdorff space in its weak topology. The probability measures on form a weak-star compact subset of by the Banach-Alaoglu theorem. The barycentre mapis weak-star-to-weak continuous; scalar integration and weak compactness ensure that . Finitely supported probability measures are weak-star dense and their barycentres are precisely . The image of all probability measures is therefore the weak closure of , and it is weakly compact. A convex set has the same weak and norm closures by the Hahn-Banach separation theorem, proving the claim.
If is reflexive, is weakly compact and every bounded is weak-to-weak continuous, so is weakly compact. If is reflexive, every bounded subset of is relatively weakly compact, with the same conclusion. Thuswhenever either space is reflexive.
If and is nonreflexive, the Eberlein-Smulian theorem supplies a bounded sequence in with no weakly convergent subsequence. The formuladefines a bounded operator . Since , it cannot be weakly compact. Therefore .
This conclusion does not hold for every pair of nonreflexive spaces. Both and are nonreflexive, while the Pitt theorem says every bounded operator is compact and hence weakly compact. Thus