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We prove two dichotomy theorems about sequences of operators into $L_1$ given by random matrices. In the second theorem we assume that the entries of each random matrix form a sequence of independent, symmetric random variables. Then the corresponding sequence of operators either uniformly factor the identity operators on $\ell_1^k$ $(k\in\mathbb N$) or uniformly approximately factor through $\mathrm{c}_0$. The first theorem has a slightly weaker conclusion still related to factorization properties but makes no assumption on the random matrices. Indeed, it applies to operators defined on an arbitrary sequence of Banach spaces. These results provide information on the closed ideal structure of the Banach algebra of all operators on the space $\big(\bigoplus_{n=1}^\infty\ell_1^n \big)_{\mathrm{c}_0}$., Comment: 22 pages

Let $X$ be a Banach space with a separable dual. We prove that $X$ embeds isomorphically into a $\cL_\infty$ space $Z$ whose dual is isomorphic to $\ell_1$. If, moreover, $U$ is a space so that $U$ and $X$ are totally incomparable, then we construct such a $Z$, so that $Z$ and $U$ are totally incomparable. If $X$ is separable and reflexive, we show that $Z$ can be made to be somewhat reflexive., Comment: 30 pages

For a countable ordinal a we denote by C_a the class of separable, reflexive Banach spaces whose Szlenk index and the Szlenk index of their dual are bounded by a. We show that each C_a admits a separable, reflexive universal space. We also show that spaces in the class C_{omega^{a*omega}} embed into spaces of the same class with a basis. As a consequence we deduce that each C_a is analytic in the Effros-Borel structure of subspaces of C[0,1]., Comment: 29 pages, uses mypreamble.tex and szlenk.bbl

We consider the following two-player game played on a separable, infinite-dimensional Banach space X. Player S chooses a positive integer k_1 and a finite-codimensional subspace X_1 of X. Then player P chooses x_1 in the unit sphere of X_1. Moves alternate thusly, forever. We study this game in the following setting. Certain normalized, 1-unconditional sequences (u_i) and (v_i) are fixed so that S has a winning strategy to force P to select x_i's so that if the moves are (k_1,X_1,x_1,k_2,X_2,x_2,...), then (x_i) is dominated by (u_{k_i}) and/or (x_i) dominates (v_{k_i}). In particular, we show that for suitable (u_i) and (v_i) if X is reflexive and S can win both of the games above, then X embeds into a reflexive space Z with an FDD which also satisfies analogous block upper (u_i) and lower (v_i) estimates. Certain universal space consequences ensue., Comment: 30 pages, uses mypreamble.tex

The Banach space $E$ has the weakly compact approximation property (W.A.P. for short) if there is a constant $C < \infty$ so that for any weakly compact set $D \subset E$ and $\epsilon > 0$ there is a weakly compact operator $V: E \to E$ satisfying $\sup_{x\in D} || x - Vx || < \epsilon$ and $|| V|| \leq C$. We give several examples of Banach spaces both with and without this approximation property. Our main results demonstrate that the James-type spaces from a general class of quasi-reflexive spaces (which contains the classical James' space $J$) have the W.A.P, but that James' tree space $JT$ fails to have the W.A.P. It is also shown that the dual $J^*$ has the W.A.P. It follows that the Banach algebras $W(J)$ and $W(J^*)$, consisting of the weakly compact operators, have bounded left approximate identities. Among the other results we obtain a concrete Banach space $Y$ so that $Y$ fails to have the W.A.P., but $Y$ has this approximation property without the uniform bound $C$., Comment: 39 pages, plain tex document

A well known application of Ramsey's Theorem to Banach Space Theory is the notion of a spreading model (e'_i) of a normalized basic sequence (x_i) in a Banach space X. We show how to generalize the construction to define a new creature (e_i), which we call an asymptotic model of X. Every spreading model of X is an asymptotic model of X and in most settings, such as if X is reflexive, every normalized block basis of an asymptotic model is itself an asymptotic model. We also show how to use the Hindman-Milliken Theorem--a strengthened form of Ramsey's Theorem--to generate asymptotic models with a stronger form of convergence., Comment: 33 pages

We introduce two new local l_1-indices of the same type as the Bourgain l_1 index; the l_1^+-index and the l_1^+-weakly null index. We show that the l_1^+-weakly null index of a Banach space X is the same as the Szlenk index of X, provided X does not contain l_1. The l_1^+-weakly null index has the same form as the Bourgain l_1 index: if it is countable it must take values omega^alpha for some alpha

An infinite dimensional notion of asymptotic structure is considered. This notion is developed in terms of trees and branches on Banach spaces. Every countably infinite countably branching tree $\mathcal T$ of a certain type on a space X is presumed to have a branch with some property. It is shown that then X can be embedded into a space with an FDD $(E_i)$ so that all normalized sequences in X which are almost a skipped blocking of $(E_i)$ have that property. As an application of our work we prove that if X is a separable reflexive Banach space and for some $10$, there exists a finite codimensional subspace of X which $C^2+\epsilon$ embeds into the $\ell_p$ sum of finite dimensional spaces., Comment: LaTeX, 24pp

Tsirelson's space $T$ is known to be distortable but it is open as to whether or not $T$ is arbitrarily distortable. For $n\in {\Bbb N}$ the norm $\|\cdot\|_n$ of the Tsirelson space $T(S_n,2^{-n})$ is equivalent to the standard norm on $T$. We prove there exists $K<\infty$ so that for all $n$, $\|\cdot\|_n$ does not $K$ distort any subspace $Y$ of $T$., Comment: 19 pp., LaTeX

It is shown that a separable Banach space $X$ can be given an equivalent norm $|\!|\!|\cdot |\!|\!|$ with the following properties:\quad If $(x_n)\subseteq X$ is relatively weakly compact and $\lim_{m\to\infty} \lim_{n\to\infty}\break |\!|\!| x_m + x_n |\!|\!| = 2\lim_{m\to\infty} |\!|\!| x_m|\!|\!|$ then $(x_n)$ converges in norm. This yields a characterization of reflexivity once proposed by V.D.~Milman. In addition it is shown that some spreading model of a sequence in $(X, |\!|\!|\cdot |\!|\!|)$ is 1-equivalent to the unit vector basis of $\ell_1$ (respectively, $c_0$) implies that $X$ contains an isomorph of $\ell_1$ (respectively, $c_0$).

For an asymptotic $\ell_1$ space $X$ with a basis $(x_i)$ certain asymptotic $\ell_1$ constants, $\delta_\alpha (X)$ are defined for $\alpha <\omega_1$. $\delta_\alpha (X)$ measures the equivalence between all normalized block bases $(y_i)_{i=1}^k$ of $(x_i)$ which are $S_\alpha$-admissible with respect to $(x_i)$ ($S_\alpha$ is the $\alpha^{th}$-Schreier class of sets) and the unit vector basis of $\ell_1^k$. This leads to the concept of the delta spectrum of $X$, $\Delta (X)$, which reflects the behavior of stabilized limits of $\delta_\alpha (X)$. The analogues of these constants under all renormings of $X$ are also defined and studied. We investigate $\Delta (X)$ both in general and for spaces of bounded distortion. We also prove several results on distorting the classical Tsirelson's space $T$ and its relatives.

It is proved that if a Banach space $X$ has a basis $(e_n)$ satisfying every spreading model of a normalized block basis of $(e_n)$ is 1-equivalent to the unit vector basis of $\ell_1$ (respectively, $c_0$) then $X$ contains $\ell_1$ (respectively, $c_0$). Furthermore Tsirelson's space $T$ is shown to have the property that every infinite dimensional subspace contains a sequence having spreading model 1-equivalent to the unit vector basis of $\ell_1$. An equivalent norm is constructed on $T$ so that $\|s_1+s_2\|<2$ whenever $(s_n)$ is a spreading model of a normalized basic sequence in $T$.

A well known argument of James yields that if a Banach space $X$ contains $\ell_1^n$'s uniformly then $X$ contains $\ell_1^n$'s almost isometrically. In the first half of the paper we extend this idea to the ordinal $\ell_1$-indices of Bourgain. In the second half we use our results to calculate the $\ell_1$-index of certain Banach spaces. Furthermore we show that the $\ell_1$-index of a separable Banach space not containing $\ell_1$ must be of the form $\omega^{\alpha}$ for some countable ordinal $\alpha$.

Any regular mixed Tsirelson space $T(\theta_n,S_n)_{\N}$ for which $\frac{\theta_n}{\theta^n} \to 0$, where $\theta=\lim_n \theta_n^{1/n}$, is shown to be arbitrarily distortable. Certain asymptotic $\ell_1$ constants for those and other mixed Tsirelson spaces are calculated. Also a combinatorial result on the Schreier families $(S_{\alpha})_{\alpha < \omega_1}$ is proved and an application is given to show that for every Banach space $X$ with a basis $(e_i)$, the two $\Delta$-spectrums $\Delta(X)$ and $\Delta(X,(e_i))$ coincide.

A reflexive Banach space $X$ with a basis $(e_i)$ is constructed having the property that every monotone basis is block finitely representable in each block basis of $X$.

We give examples of two Banach spaces. One Banach space has no spreading model which contains $\ell_p$ ($1\le p<\infty$) or $c_0$. The other space has an unconditional basis for which $\ell_p$ ($1\le p<\infty$) and $c_0$ are block finitely represented in all block bases.

In this paper we show that every sequence (F_n) of finite dimensional subspaces of a real or complex Banach space with increasing dimensions can be ``refined'' to yield an F.D.D. (G_n), still having increasing dimensions, so that either every bounded sequence (x_n), with x_n in G_n for n in N, is weakly null, or every normalized sequence (x_n), with x_n in G_n for n in N, is equivalent to the unit vector basis of l_1. Crucial to the proof are two stabilization results concerning Lipschitz functions on finite dimensional normed spaces. These results also lead to other applications. We show, for example, that every infinite dimensional Banach space X contains an F.D.D. (F_n), with lim_{n to infty} dim (F_n)=infty, so that all normalized sequences (x_n), with x_n in F_n, n in N, have the same spreading model over X. This spreading model must necessarily be 1-unconditional over X.

We prove that Hilbert space is distortable and, in fact, arbitrarily distortable. This means that for all lambda >1 there exists an equivalent norm |.| on l_2 such that for all infinite dimensional subspaces Y of l_2 there exist x,y in Y with ||x||_2 = ||y||_2 =1 yet |x| >lambda |y|. We also prove that if X is any infinite dimensional Banach space with an unconditional basis then the unit sphere of X and the unit sphere of l_1 are uniformly homeomorphic if and only if X does not contain l_infty^n's uniformly.

Certain subclasses of $B_1(K)$, the Baire-1 functions on a compact metric space $K$, are defined and characterized. Some applications to Banach spaces are given.

Let $(x_n)$ be a normalized weakly null sequence in a Banach space and let $\varep>0$. We show that there exists a subsequence $(y_n)$ with the following property: $$\hbox{ if }\ (a_i)\subseteq \IR\ \hbox{ and }\ F\subseteq \nat$$ satisfies $\min F\le |F|$ then $$\big\|\sum_{i\in F} a_i y_i\big\| \le (2+\varep) \big\| \sum a_iy_i\big\|\ . $$