l-infinity sequence space (${\ell }^{\infty }$)

The space ${\ell }^{\infty }$ consists of bounded scalar sequences with norm $\Vert x{\Vert }_{\infty }={\sup }_n|x_n|$.

It is the bounded-sequence example of a sequence space.

A generalized limit on real bounded sequences is a positive linear functional of operator norm one that extends the ordinary limit of a sequence. Such a functional can be chosen by the Hahn-Banach theorem: extend the limit on the convergent sequence space while dominating it by the sublinear functional $p(x)={\mathrm{limsup}}_n{x}_n$. Applying the same domination to $-x$ gives the displayed lower bound. A Banach limit additionally has invariance under the left shift on bounded sequences.

A Banach limit is a positive linear functional on the real l-infinity sequence space that extends the ordinary limit on the convergent sequence space, has operator norm one, and is invariant under the left shift on bounded sequences. The Hahn-Banach theorem constructs one by separating the constant sequence $1$ from the subspace $(I-S){\ell }^{\infty }$, whose distance from $1$ is one. The functional is generally not unique.

The displayed sublinear functional on the real l-infinity sequence space agrees with the ordinary limit on convergent sequences. A dominated extension by the Hahn-Banach theorem therefore defines a generalized limit bounded between the lower and upper limits of the Cesàro means. For the left shift on bounded sequences $S$, the averages of $Sx-x$ equal $(x_{N+1}-x_1)/N$, which tend to zero. Domination applied to both signs gives $L(Sx-x)=0$, hence shift invariance. Positivity, agreement on constant sequences and the operator norm one follow from the bounds, so $L$ is a Banach limit.

A nonprincipal ultrafilter on the natural numbers gives a Banach limit by taking the ultralimit of the Cesàro means of each bounded sequence. Compactness of a closed bounded interval, or disk for complex sequences, supplies the limit. Finite intersections in the filter give linearity; nonnegative averages give positivity; constants give norm one. The Cesàro theorem for convergent sequences gives agreement with ordinary limits because the ultrafilter contains every cofinite set. For the left shift on bounded sequences, the two means differ by $(x_{n+1}-x_1)/n$, which tends to zero, proving shift invariance.

The left shift is a bounded linear operator of operator norm one on the l-infinity sequence space. For $y=x-Sx$, telescoping gives $N^{-1}{\sum }_{n=1}^N{y}_n=(x_1-x_{N+1})/N\to 0$. This identity is useful in constructing a Banach limit.