Quotients of continuous convex functions on nonreflexive Banach spaces

On each nonreflexive Banach space X there exists a positive continuous convex function f such that 1/f is not a d.c. function (i.e., a difference of two continuous convex functions). This result together with known ones implies that X is reflexive if and only if each everywhere defined quotient of two continuous convex functions is a d.c. function. Our construction gives also a stronger version of Klee's result concerning renormings of nonreflexive spaces and non-norm-attaining functionals.Comment: 5 page

Delta-semidefinite and delta-convex quadratic forms in Banach spaces

A continuous quadratic form ("quadratic form", in short) on a Banach space $X$ is: (a) delta-semidefinite (i.e., representable as a difference of two nonnegative quadratic forms) if and only if the corresponding symmetric linear operator $T\colon X\to X^*$ factors through a Hilbert space; (b) delta-convex (i.e., representable as a difference of two continuous convex functions) if and only if $T$ is a UMD-operator. It follows, for instance, that each quadratic form on an infinite-dimensional $L_p(\mu)$ space ($1\le p \le\infty$) is: (a) delta-semidefinite iff $p \ge 2$; (b) delta-convex iff $p>1$. Some other related results concerning delta-convexity are proved and some open problems are stated.Comment: 19 page

A non-DC function which is DC along all convex curves

A problem asked by the authors in 1989 concerns the natural question, whether one can deduce that a continuous function f on an open convex set D subset of R-n is DC (i.e., is a difference of two convex functions) from the behavior of f "along some special curves phi". I.M. Prudnikov published in 2014 a theorem (working with convex curves phi in the plane), which would give a positive answer in R-2 to our problem. However, in the present note we construct an example showing that this theorem is not correct, and thus our problem remains open in each R-n, n > 1

Quasi uniform convexity : Revisited

Quasi uniform convexity (QUC) is a geometric property of Banach spaces, introduced in 1973 by J.R. Calder et al., which implies existence of Chebyshev centers for bounded sets. We extend and strengthen some known results about this property. We show that (QUC) is equivalent to existence and continuous dependence (in the Hausdorff metric) of Chebyshev centers of bounded sets. If X is (QUC) then the space C(K;X) of continuous X-valued functions on a compact K is (QUC) as well. We also show that a sufficient condition introduced by L. Pevac already implies (QUC), and we provide a couple of new sufficient conditions for (QUC). Together with Chebyshev centers, we consider also asymptotic centers for bounded sequences or nets (of points or sets)