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A basic sequence in a Banach space is a sequence that is a Schauder basis for its closed linear span.

The basis constant of a Schauder basis is ${\sup }_n\Vert P_n\Vert$, where $P_n$ are its basis projections. Uniform boundedness makes this supremum finite.

The nth basis projection associated with a Schauder basis is

Relative to a Schauder basis $(e_j)$, a block basic sequence consists of nonzero finite combinations supported on successive disjoint coordinate intervals. In the l-p sequence space, disjointly supported vectors $u_n$ of norm one satisfy $\Vert \sum a_n{u}_n{\Vert }_p^p=\sum |a_n{|}^p$. Their closed span is consequently isometric to the l-p sequence space.

Relative to a Schauder basis, a block sequence consists of nonzero finitely supported vectors with successive disjoint supports: $\max \mathrm{supp}{x}_i<\min \mathrm{supp}{x}_{i+1}$. It is a basic sequence, with basis constant at most that of the original basis.

The nth coordinate functional of a Schauder basis is the bounded linear functional $e_n^{\ast }({\sum }_k{a}_k{e}_k)=a_n$.

The norm comparison in bounded distortion of a Banach space is understood up to a positive rescaling of the new norm. Thus, after replacing $D$ by $D^2$ if one's convention uses symmetric comparison constants, we may use the following form: for every equivalent norm $q$ on a block subspace, a further block subspace $Z$ and a number $a>0$ satisfyThe number $a$ may depend on the norm and the subspace; $D$ is fixed. Without this rescaling convention the premise would be impossible, since arbitrarily large scalar multiples of the original norm are equivalent norms. We prove the substantive, scale-invariant assertion for an infinite Schauder basis.

Let $K$ be the basis constant of the original basis. Every block sequence has basis constant at most $K$, so its initial, tail and finite interval projections have norms at most $K$, $1+K$ and $2K$, respectively. We shall construct increasingly complicated finite unconditional configurations while keeping their unconditional constant fixed at $C=2D$.

First construct the Maurey hierarchy of finite sets. Write ${\mathcal{M}}_0=\{\varnothing \}$, and definewhere prepending to the empty set is permitted. For each nonzero countable limit ordinal $\lambda$, fix positive ordinals ${\lambda }_j\uparrow \lambda$ and putInduction shows that every family is hereditary and spreading: subsets remain in the family, and increasing any of the coordinates preserves membership. Every nonzero stage contains all singletons. These families are also well-founded as extension trees. At a successor stage, an infinite branch would yield an infinite branch at the previous stage after deleting its first integer. At a limit stage, a hypothetical branch with first integer $m$ has every initial segment in the finite union ${\bigcup }_{j\le m}{\mathcal{M}}_{{\lambda }_j}$. One family then contains arbitrarily long initial segments, and heredity would give it an infinite branch.

For every infinite set $L$, the extension tree ${\mathcal{M}}_{\alpha }\cap [L{]}^{<\infty }$ has empty-root rank of a well-founded tree at least $\alpha$. Here is the induction proving this lower bound. At a successor stage fix $n\in L$; the tree above the node $\{n\}$ contains a copy of ${\mathcal{M}}_{\alpha }$ restricted to the infinite tail of $L$ after $n$, and hence has rank at least $\alpha$. The root therefore has rank at least $\alpha +1$. At a limit stage, for every $j$ the restriction of ${\mathcal{M}}_{{\lambda }_j}$ to a sufficiently late infinite tail of $L$ is contained in ${\mathcal{M}}_{\lambda }$. The root rank is consequently at least ${\sup }_j{\lambda }_j=\lambda$.

The crucial elementary estimate concerns signed interval projection norms. Given a hereditary family $\mathcal{F}$ containing all singletons and a basis $(w_i)$, define on finitely supported vectorsChoosing one interval containing the support gives $q_{\mathcal{F}}^{(w)}(x)\ge \Vert x\Vert$. Whenever this supremum is bounded by a multiple of $\Vert x\Vert$, it extends to a norm on the closed span giving equivalent norms with the original norm.

If $S={\sum }_i{\epsilon }_i{P}_{E_i}$ is one of the admitted signed interval projections, thenTo prove this, test $Sx$ with another admitted operator $R={\sum }_j{\delta }_j{P}_{F_j}$. The composition is the signed sum of projections onto the nonempty intervals $E_i\cap F_j$. Colour each intersection according to which of $E_i,F_j$ supplies its left endpoint, breaking ties in favour of $E_i$. In the first colour the list of minima is a subset of $(\min E_i)$, with no repetitions; in the second it is a subset of $(\min F_j)$. Both lists belong to $\mathcal{F}$ by heredity. Each colour therefore contributes an admitted signed interval projection, and the triangle inequality gives $\Vert RSx\Vert \le 2q_{\mathcal{F}}^{(w)}(x)$. Taking the supremum over $R$ proves the estimate.

Now suppose $q_{\mathcal{F}}^{(w)}$ is an equivalent norm on a block subspace $W$. Apply bounded distortion to obtain a further block basis $(z_i)$ spanning $Z$, with $a\Vert z\Vert \le q_{\mathcal{F}}^{(w)}(z)\le aD\Vert z\Vert$. A signed interval projection relative to $(z_i)$, with an admissible list of minima, is the restriction of an admitted signed interval projection relative to $(w_i)$. Indeed, replace each interval of block indices by the interval from the first to the last original coordinate of its blocks; its minimum only increases, so the spreading property preserves admissibility. The elementary estimate and the norm comparison therefore giveIn particular $q_{\mathcal{F}}^{(z)}\le C\Vert \cdot \Vert$, with the same $C=2D$ for every family to which we apply this procedure.

We prove by transfinite induction that, in every block subspace and for every $1\le \alpha <{\omega }_1$, there is a normalized block basis $(z_i)$ for whichFor $\alpha =1$ only one interval is permitted, so the initial signed interval projection norm is bounded by $2K\Vert x\Vert$. Apply the preceding renorming procedure.

For a successor stage, first choose $(w_i)$ satisfying the induction hypothesis for ${\mathcal{M}}_{\alpha }$. Delete the first interval from any ${\mathcal{M}}_{\alpha +1}$-admissible family. The remaining minima lie in ${\mathcal{M}}_{\alpha }$, soThis is an equivalent norm. The renorming procedure produces a further block basis with the constant reset to $C$.

At a limit stage $\lambda$, choose decreasing block subspaces $W_j$, each with a block basis satisfying the induction hypothesis for ${\mathcal{M}}_{{\lambda }_j}$. Choose successive normalized $z_j\in W_j$. Make each $z_j$ sufficiently far out that its first coordinate in the basis of every $W_k$, $k\le j$, is at least $j$; only finitely many restrictions are imposed at each choice. An admissible interval family for ${\mathcal{M}}_{\lambda }$ belongs to ${\mathcal{M}}_{{\lambda }_j}$ for some $j\le \min E_1$. All blocks on which it acts lie in the tail $[z_i:i\ge j]\subset W_j$. Transferring its intervals to the basis of $W_j$ increases their minima, so the induction hypothesis givesThus $q_{{\mathcal{M}}_{\lambda }}^{(z)}$ is again an equivalent norm, and one more application of bounded distortion resets its bound to $C$. This completes the transfinite induction. The tail-projection factor in this step is important; the diagonal tail need not have the same norm as the original vector.

Finally let $T_C(X)$ be the tree of finite normalized sequences $(x_1,\dots ,x_n)$ satisfyingfor all scalars and all signs. Each finite level is closed in the corresponding power of the unit sphere, since the norm inequalities are closed conditions. The unit sphere of the separable Banach space $X$ is a Polish space. An infinite branch is an unconditional basic sequence: sign changes give coordinate projections with norm at most $(1+C)/2$, imply linear independence, and give uniformly bounded initial projections, hence the basis property on the closed span. These projection bounds also give unconditional convergence, including over complex scalars.

For each countable $\alpha$, the block basis constructed above maps the extension tree ${\mathcal{M}}_{\alpha }$ into $T_C(X)$ by $\{i_1<\cdots <i_r\}\mapsto (z_{i_1},\dots ,z_{i_r})$. To check the sign inequality, use the admissible singleton intervals $\{i_1\},\dots ,\{i_r\}$ on the vector $\sum a_k{z}_{i_k}$. Thus the unconditional tree index is at least $\alpha$ for every countable ordinal. If $T_C(X)$ were well-founded, the closed-tree result would give it countable height, contradicting these lower bounds. It has an infinite branch. Therefore $X$ contains an unconditional basic sequence.

A Schauder basis of a real Banach space $X$ is a sequence $(e_n)$ for which every $x\in X$ has a unique norm-convergent expansion $x={\sum }_n{a}_n{e}_n$. Its basis projection isand its basis constant is $K_b={\sup }_n\Vert P_n\Vert <\infty$.

For the sequence space $Y$ in the question, defineConvergence in the definition of $Y$ makes $J$ well defined, and uniqueness of basis coefficients makes it a linear bijection. Moreover,whereasThus $J$ is an isomorphism and, in particular, the displayed supremum really is a complete norm on $Y$.

The coordinate functional of a Schauder basis isIt is bounded because $a_n{e}_n=(P_n-P_{n-1})x$. On finite linear combinations of the $e_n^{\ast }$, the nth partial-sum operator is the restriction of $P_n^{\ast }$, sinceThe operators have norms at most $K_b$, so the standard basis criterion shows that the dual sequence of a Schauder basis $(e_n^{\ast })$ is a basic sequence in $X^{\ast }$. For every $x^{\ast }\in X^{\ast }$ and $x\in X$,which is precisely $P_n^{\ast }{x}^{\ast }\to x^{\ast }$ in the weak-star topology.

Suppose now that $X$ is a reflexive Banach space. If $\Vert x^{\ast }-P_n^{\ast }{x}^{\ast }\Vert$ did not tend to zero, approximation by finite basis blocks would give a bounded block sequence $(u_j)$ and an $\epsilon >0$ such that $|x^{\ast }(u_j)|\ge \epsilon$. Reflexivity gives a weakly convergent subsequence. Every fixed coordinate functional is eventually zero on a block sequence, so its weak limit has every basis coordinate zero and is therefore zero. This contradicts $|x^{\ast }(u_j)|\ge \epsilon$. Hence $P_n^{\ast }{x}^{\ast }\to x^{\ast }$ in norm for every $x^{\ast }$, so the basis is shrinking and $(e_n^{\ast })$ is a basis of $X^{\ast }$.

The converse fails. The standard basis of $c_0$ is shrinking because its dual sequence is the standard basis of ${\ell }^1=(c_0{)}^{\ast }$, but $c_0$ is not reflexive.

Finally assume $(e_n^{\ast })$ is a basis of $X^{\ast }$. Map $x^{\ast \ast }\in X^{\ast \ast }$ toFor $s_n={\sum }_{k=1}^n{a}_k{e}_k$,so $(a_n)\in Z$. Conversely, if $(a_n)\in Z$ and $M={\sup }_n\Vert s_n\Vert$, defineThe limit exists: for $m>n$,because $(e_n^{\ast })$ is a basis. Also $|F(x^{\ast })|\le M\Vert x^{\ast }\Vert$, so $F\in X^{\ast \ast }$ and $F(e_n^{\ast })=a_n$. These two constructions are inverse and satisfyThus $X^{\ast \ast }$ and $Z$ are isomorphic.

Relative to a Schauder basis, take the supremum over successive finite intervals whose minima belong to a specified hereditary family $\mathcal{F}$, and signs ${\epsilon }_i\in \{-1,1\}$. If this supremum is bounded above by a multiple of the original norm and the family contains all singletons, it gives an equivalent norm. Composing two admitted signed interval projections costs at most a factor of two in this norm: split their nonempty intersections according to which interval supplies the later left endpoint. In each of the two resulting families the minima form a subset of one original list, so heredity preserves admissibility. This estimate lets bounded distortion of a Banach space give a uniform bound independent of the complexity of $\mathcal{F}$.

An unconditional basic sequence is a Schauder basis for its closed span whose expansions converge after arbitrary permutations or coordinate suppressions. Equivalently, the finite coordinate projections are uniformly bounded. Failure of this property gives pairs of disjointly supported unit vectors at arbitrarily small distance, obtained by separating a finite combination with a large coordinate projection.