A bounded linear operator between Banach spaces is a weakly compact operator exactly when its second adjoint takes values in the canonical copy of inside . The Goldstine theorem proves necessity; the Banach-Alaoglu theorem, continuity of the second adjoint, and the Mazur theorem prove sufficiency.
Convex block 2026-10-06
A convex block of a sequence in a Banach space is a sequence of convex combinations supported on successively disjoint finite intervals, with , , and . Zero coefficients can fill gaps and ensure strict endpoint inequalities. By the Mazur theorem, every weakly null sequence has convex blocks tending to zero in norm.
A nonempty norm-closed convex subset of a reflexive Banach space attains its distance to zero. For , the sets are nonempty weakly closed subsets of one weakly compact ball, and form a decreasing family. Compactness gives a point in their intersection, of norm . Mazur theorem supplies weak closedness of and the balls; no sequential-compactness theorem is required.
The weak topology on a normed vector space is , the coarsest topology making every bounded linear functional continuous. A neighbourhood base at is given by finitely many inequalities , with . In the complex case, separation uses real parts of bounded linear functionals.
Mazur theorem states that the weak closure of a convex set equals its closure in the norm topology. The weak topology is coarser than the norm topology, so the norm closure is contained in the weak closure. Conversely, if is outside the norm closure of a convex set , the Hahn-Banach separation theorem gives and with . The corresponding weak topology neighbourhood of misses , so is outside its weak closure. This proves Mazur theorem, including the empty-set case. In particular, if converges weakly to , then is in the weak closure of every tail and therefore in the norm closure of its convex hull. Choosing a finite convex combination of the th tail within of proves the usual Mazur lemma formulation as well.
The weak-star topology on the continuous dual space is : convergence means pointwise convergence on , and a neighbourhood base prescribes finitely many evaluation inequalities. The Banach-Alaoglu theorem states that the closed unit ball of is compact in this weak-star topology, even if is incomplete. Embed this closed unit ball into
where or . Each factor is compact, so is compact by the Tychonoff theorem. Inside , the equations and define a closed set. Every such point defines a linear functional satisfying , hence belongs to the closed unit ball of . Thus this image is closed in . The product topology on it is exactly the weak-star topology, proving Banach-Alaoglu theorem. Evaluations also separate its points, so the weak-star topology is Hausdorff.
For the canonical embedding into the bidual , we have . Restricting all evaluations at therefore gives exactly . Thus the induced subspace topology is the weak topology on .
Now identify with . Let be a bounded convex set, write for its norm closure in , and let be its weak-star topology closure in . Boundedness places in a multiple of the closed unit ball of , so is compact by Banach-Alaoglu theorem. The preceding subspace topology identification and Mazur theorem give
If is a weakly compact set, its image in the Hausdorff weak-star topology is compact and therefore closed. It contains , so . Conversely, if , the displayed identity gives , and its compactness is precisely weak compactness in . Hence . This argument also covers .
For a bounded linear operator , its Banach-space adjoint is , defined by . Evaluation at any fixed is thus evaluation at after applying . Each is continuous in the relevant weak-star topology, proving that is weak-star continuous. Applying the same result to shows that is weak-star continuous. Direct evaluation gives
Use for the closed unit ball; using the open ball gives the same norm closure of . Goldstine theorem says that is weak-star dense in . Put . It is compact and closed in the weak-star topology by Banach-Alaoglu theorem and the established continuity. It contains . Conversely, Goldstine theorem gives, for every , a net from converging weak-star to ; its image converges weak-star to . Consequently
Apply the preceding bounded convex set criterion in , and then scale the closed unit ball. We obtain the bidual characterization of weakly compact operators:
The canonical embedding into the bidual on the right specifies exactly which copy of is intended.
For a convex subset of a Banach space, weak closure equals norm closure. The Mazur theorem states that for every convex set ,
Since every bounded linear functional is norm-continuous, the weak topology is weaker than the norm topology, giving .
For the reverse inclusion, use this form of the Hahn-Banach separation theorem: if is a nonempty norm-closed convex set in a real normed vector space and , there is a continuous real-linear functional such that
Apply it to . In a complex Banach space, use the underlying real space; every continuous real-linear is the real part of the complex bounded linear functional . The separating strict inequality gives a neighbourhood open for the weak topology of disjoint from , so . The empty set case is immediate. This proves the Mazur theorem.
A weakly null sequence has disjoint convex blocks converging to zero in norm. If , then for every starting index ,
The Mazur theorem places in the norm closure of that tail convex hull. Thus a finite convex combination of vectors from any tail can have norm less than any prescribed .
Choose the convex blocks recursively. After selecting the previous terminal index , let , and choose a finite convex combination from with norm less than . Choose beyond its largest used index, padding the intervening coefficients and the final coefficient with zero. This ensures the printed strict condition as well as . Setting unused coefficients to zero yields
Therefore in norm. The recursive tail selection is what makes these convex blocks, rather than merely unrelated convex combinations.
Next suppose is separable and is bounded. Use the canonical embedding into the bidual , where . If , then . The Banach-Alaoglu theorem makes this ball compact in , and weak-star metrizability of the dual ball makes it metrizable because its predual is separable. A compact space that is a metric space is sequentially compact, so some subsequence satisfies
The limit need not belong to ; it is precisely the use of the bidual space that supplies compactness without assuming reflexivity.
For a convex block , every satisfies
Both and tend to , so
This is the useful convex-block cancellation of a weak-star limit; it does not require the limit to be a vector in .
The quotient sequence has approximate lifts in that are weakly null after passing to a subsequence. Let be the quotient map, with the quotient norm. Since , choose such that
This uses the infimum defining the quotient norm and does not assume that it is attained. By the preceding compactness argument, pass to a subsequence with a common weak-star limit in . Its quotient images form a weakly null sequence.
Apply the convex block construction to in the quotient Banach space. Using the same coefficients on gives convex blocks
Set . The convex-block cancellation of a weak-star limit proves , while
Thus the approximate weakly null lifting through a quotient is achieved with the required bound:
The bidual range condition implies both weak compactness and the stronger continuity of . First assume . The Banach-Alaoglu theorem makes weak-star compact, and is weak-star continuous. Hence its image is compact for the weak-star topology in . Because it lies in , it corresponds to a weakly compact subset under .
The identity gives . A weakly compact set in a Hausdorff space is closed for the weak topology, so is also norm-closed and contains the norm closure of . That closure is a convex set closed in the norm topology, hence weakly closed by the Mazur theorem. It is therefore a weakly closed subset of the weakly compact , and is a weakly compact set. This proves .
For , fix . By the range assumption there is with . For every ,
The right side is a defining weak-star continuous evaluation on . Since the weak topology on is determined by all , every scalar coordinate of for that topology is weak-star continuous. Therefore
The weak topology is the coarsest topology making every bounded linear functional continuous. A neighbourhood basis at consists of sets for finite families in .
Mazur theorem says that for any convex subset of a real or complex normed vector space,
The norm closure is convex. If is outside it, the Hahn-Banach separation theorem gives a bounded linear functional and a real with . In the real case omit the real part. Thus has a weak neighbourhood missing , proving that the weak closure lies in the norm closure. The other inclusion follows because the weak topology is weaker than the norm topology. In the complex case real separation is converted to a complex functional by .
The sequential formulation, Mazur lemma, follows as well. If , then lies in the weak closure of each tail and hence in the norm closure of its convex hull. Select a finite convex combination of the th tail at norm distance less than from .
A weakly bounded set satisfies for every . Regard as a pointwise bounded family of functionals on . The completeness of the dual space holds even if is incomplete: a norm-Cauchy sequence of functionals has a pointwise bounded linear limit and then converges uniformly on the unit ball. The Uniform boundedness principle therefore gives , and proves norm boundedness.
One can see the precise Baire argument here. The closed sets cover the Banach space . The Baire category theorem makes some contain a ball , after shrinking the radius. For , both and lie in , so . Scaling and the dual norm formula yield . A weakly compact set is weakly bounded because each functional has compact, hence bounded, image. Consequently it is norm bounded.
For a Banach space, let be its canonical isometry. We use two explicitly stated weak-star facts: Banach-Alaoglu theorem makes a dual unit ball weak-star compact, and Goldstine theorem makes weak-star dense in . The weak topology on is carried by to on its image, since their coordinates are the same evaluations .
If is a reflexive Banach space, and Banach-Alaoglu proves weak compactness. Conversely, if is weakly compact, its image is weak-star compact and hence closed in the Hausdorff space . Goldstine density then forces , which implies . This proves the weak compactness characterization of reflexivity:
Finally let be weakly compact and let separate points. If is empty there is nothing to prove; otherwise define
The summands are bounded by and separation makes only for . The coordinate maps are weakly continuous, so the series, being uniformly convergent, makes the identity from weak to metric continuous. A continuous bijection from a compact space to a Hausdorff space is a homeomorphism. Thus induces precisely the weak topology on , the countable separating family metrizes a weakly compact set result. No norm-density of the separating family in is claimed or required.
The coordinate evaluations belong to the dual unit ball of the l-infinity sequence space and separate its points. Therefore the countable separating family metrizes a weakly compact set result makes any nonempty weakly compact a compact metric space in its weak topology. Choose finite -nets and take their countable union ; it is weakly dense in .
It follows that . By Mazur theorem, the last set is . Finite convex combinations of members of with nonnegative rational coefficients summing to one form a countable norm-dense subset of : for each fixed finite list, approximate its coefficients in the simplex by rational coefficients, and use the norm triangle inequality. Thus its norm closure is a separable metric space containing .
Every subset of a separable metric space is separable: balls centred on a countable dense set with positive rational radii form a countable base; intersect this base with the subset and choose one point from each nonempty intersection. Consequently the weakly compact subsets of l-infinity are norm separable conclusion is
The empty case is immediate. The convexification matters: the chosen weakly dense set itself need not be norm dense in a nonconvex .
Put . The nonemptiness of gives . By Mazur theorem, a norm-closed convex set is weakly closed. This applies to both and every closed norm ball.
For , the sets are nonempty by the definition of the infimum, weakly closed and nested. They all lie in the weakly compact set , by the weak compactness characterization of reflexivity. Hence they have the finite intersection property, and compactness gives . Then and for every , so
This proves the norm minimizer in a closed convex subset of a reflexive Banach space assertion without assuming sequential weak compactness. It includes ; uniqueness is not asserted without an additional condition such as strict convexity of the norm.
The Mazur theorem states that the weak closure and norm closure of a convex set in a normed vector space coincide:
Norm closure is contained in weak closure because the weak topology is coarser. Conversely, if , the Hahn-Banach separation theorem provides a continuous real linear functional strictly separating from that closed convex set. In a complex space this is the real part of a continuous complex linear functional. A weak neighborhood of then misses , so . This proves the equality. It also gives the usual Mazur lemma: if , then lies in the norm closure of the convex hull of each tail, so one can choose tail convex combinations with .
Now let be a weakly compact set in a normed space . Each is bounded on because it is weakly continuous. The family in , where is the canonical embedding into the bidual, is therefore pointwise bounded. The space is Banach even if is not. Apply the Uniform boundedness principle and use to obtain
This proves that a weakly compact set is norm bounded without assuming completeness of the original space.
For the real-valued dual and integral formulas that follow, take to be real, as in the PDF. In a complex space the norming formula uses real parts, and the integral identities use complex-valued functionals instead.
If the separable Banach space is nonzero, choose a norm-dense sequence in its unit sphere. By the Hahn-Banach theorem, choose with and . For any unit vector , arbitrarily close satisfy
Scaling gives the countable norming family identity
For use the constant sequence of zero functionals. If is norm-Borel measurable, every is measurable, so its countable supremum is measurable. Equivalently, this also follows directly from continuity of the norm.
For any , continuity makes measurable, and
Thus the assumed integrability of the norm implies scalar integrability, and
defines a bounded linear functional on . Use the granted weak-star continuity of . By the continuous dual of a weak-star topology, is evaluation at a vector of . Indeed, continuity gives finitely many and such that whenever for all . Scaling shows that vanishes on the common kernel of these evaluations. It therefore factors through their finite-dimensional coordinate map, so . The Hahn-Banach theorem makes this representing vector unique. Hence
In this separable setting the vector is the Bochner integral.
Return to a weakly compact set and its inclusion . For each fixed , the identity makes weakly Borel measurable. Norm balls are consequently weakly Borel measurable. Separability gives a countable base of such balls, so every norm-open set is weakly Borel measurable. This proves measurability of , and establishes the equality of the weak and norm Borel sigma-algebras in a separable Banach space.
Put . For every finite signed Borel measure on ,
For positive measures this is the integral in the question. For signed measures, the correct integrability condition uses the variation measure; define the integral by taking the difference of the positive and negative integrals. The printed in this clause should be , the domain of the inclusion.
The Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem now defines the bounded linear map
For each the restriction is in , and
The right side is weak-star continuous in . The defining property of the weak topology therefore proves that is weak-star-to-weak continuous, for arbitrary nets. For a Dirac measure, .
If , let be its regular probability measures. This is a weak-star closed subset of : its conditions are and for every nonnegative . It is compact by Banach-Alaoglu theorem. Thus is weakly compact and convex, and contains because it contains all . It is weakly closed, hence norm closed, so it contains . By Mazur theorem, is weakly closed. Therefore it is a closed subset of the weakly compact set , proving
The empty case is immediate. In fact : a barycenter of a measure on a Banach space outside would be strictly separated by a functional , contradicting .
The weak topology is the coarsest topology on for which every bounded linear functional in is continuous. Thus every is weakly continuous. Conversely, if a linear functional is weakly continuous at zero, some basic weak neighbourhood gives and such that
It follows that , and elementary linear algebra then gives .
To prove Mazur theorem, let be norm-closed and convex and let . The Hahn-Banach separation theorem strictly separates from by some member of . The corresponding open half-space is weakly open, contains , and misses . Thus is weakly closed.
If is reflexive, the Banach-Alaoglu theorem makes weak-star compact, and the canonical identification transports this to weak compactness of . Conversely, if is weakly compact, then is weak-star compact and hence weak-star closed in . Goldstine theorem says it is weak-star dense there, so it equals and is reflexive.
When is reflexive, weak and weak-star topologies coincide on , so Banach–Alaoglu makes weakly compact and is reflexive. If is closed, then is a weakly closed subset of , hence weakly compact. The quotient map sends a suitable weakly compact ball of onto the unit ball of , which is therefore weakly compact. Thus and are reflexive as well.
For each , define by . Weak convergence makes bounded for every . The Uniform boundedness principle gives
Let be the closed convex hull of the . Given a sequence in , approximate its terms in norm by finite convex combinations of the . A diagonal subsequence makes every coefficient converge. Any loss of total coefficient mass is assigned to zero, which belongs to by Mazur theorem because . Since for every , splitting each sum into a finite head and a uniformly small tail proves weak convergence of this subsequence to the corresponding convex combination. Hence is weakly sequentially compact and, by the stated theorem, weakly compact.
Define
It is bounded because is norm bounded, and its values lie in because . Its adjoint-on-preduals map is
If had nonempty norm interior, then would contain a ball about zero. The quantitative open-mapping argument applied to the convex combinations above would make surjective, and hence make bounded below. Its range would be a closed infinite-dimensional subspace of whose unit ball is compact for coordinatewise convergence, since it lies in the coordinatewise compact image of a weak-star compact ball of .
By the stated structural theorem, contains a closed subspace isomorphic to . The bounded partial sums of the image of the standard basis would then have a coordinatewise convergent subnet. Uniform boundedness turns coordinatewise convergence in into weak convergence, and norm-closed subspaces are weakly closed. Pulling the limit back would make the partial sums of the standard basis converge weakly in , impossible because their coordinate values force the putative limit to be the constant-one sequence. This contradiction proves that has empty norm interior.
Mazur theorem says that the weak closure and norm closure of a convex subset of a real or complex normed space coincide. The norm closure is contained in the weak closure because every norm-continuous linear functional is norm-continuous. Conversely, if is outside the norm closure of a convex set , the Hahn-Banach separation theorem gives and a real number such that
This weakly open separation shows that is outside the weak closure.
By definition,
For each , regard as the bounded functional given by . Pointwise convergence makes the family pointwise bounded on the Banach space . The Uniform boundedness principle gives
Suppose first that . Every subsequence indexed by an infinite set also converges weakly to zero. Thus zero belongs to the weak closure of the convex hull of , and Mazur's theorem puts it in its norm closure. This gives the required finite convex combination of norm below any prescribed .
Conversely, if weak convergence fails, some and an infinite subsequence satisfy either throughout or throughout. Every convex combination from that subsequence then has norm at least , contradicting the stated property.
Now let the , , have pairwise disjoint supports and satisfy . For distinct terms,
The convex-combination criterion therefore proves . This is weak convergence of bounded disjointly supported sequences in lp.
The final implication for a commutative unital C*-algebra is true. By the Commutative Gelfand--Naimark theorem, and its characters are the point evaluations. The hypotheses say that the uniformly bounded functions converge pointwise to zero. Every functional on is integration against a finite regular measure by the Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem; the dominated convergence theorem gives
Hence .
Suppose first that is separable, and choose a norm-dense sequence in its unit ball. On the dual unit ball define
Uniform boundedness on the unit ball and density of the show that this metric induces the weak-star topology. Conversely, if is weak-star metrizable, the Banach-Alaoglu theorem makes it a compact metric space. Hence is separable. The evaluation map
is an isometry by the Hahn-Banach theorem. A subspace of a separable metric space is separable, so is separable. This proves the weak-star metrizability criterion for a dual ball.
If has a countable weakly dense subset , the rational linear span of is weakly dense. Its norm closure is a convex set, so Mazur theorem says that its weak and norm closures agree. Thus is norm separable. The weak-star compact metric ball consequently has a countable weak-star dense subset, and the union of its integer dilates is weak-star dense in . Therefore is weak-star separable.
It need not be weakly separable. Take , whose dual is . A weakly separable normed space is norm separable by the preceding convex-closure argument, whereas is not norm separable.
If the Banach space is reflexive, its closed unit ball identifies with the weak-star compact ball of , hence is weakly compact. Conversely, if is weakly compact, its canonical image is weak-star compact and therefore weak-star closed in . Goldstine theorem says it is weak-star dense in , so
Scaling proves that is surjective and is reflexive. This is the weak compactness characterization of reflexivity.
The Krein-Milman theorem says that a nonempty compact convex subset of a locally convex space is the closed convex hull of its extreme points. For reflexive , the ball is weakly compact, so
where weak and norm closure agree for the convex hull by Mazur's theorem.
For the final claim, let be the set of functions with the mean-value property. It is a compact convex subset of the product . If is extreme, its four unit translates also lie in , and the mean-value identity writes as their average. Extremality forces every translate to equal , so is constant. Every extreme point is therefore constant. Krein--Milman now makes every member of a limit of convex combinations of constant functions, and hence constant. This is the bounded harmonic function theorem on the integer lattice.
Weak convergence of bounded disjointly supported sequences in lp Created 2026-09-28 Updated 2026-09-29
Let . Every norm-bounded sequence in whose terms have pairwise disjoint supports converges weakly to zero. Indeed, the average of distinct terms has norm , so Mazur theorem gives weak convergence through its convex-combination criterion.