We show that if X is an infinite-dimensional Banach space in which every finite-dimensional subspace is λ-complemented with λ ≤ 2 then X is (1 + C√(λ-1))-isomorphic to a Hilbert space, where C is an absolute constant; this estimate (up to the constant C) is best possible. This answers a question of Kadets and Mityagin from 1973. We also investigate the finite-dimensional versions of the theorem.

The main result of this paper states that if a Banach space X has the property that every bounded operator from an arbitrary subspace of X into an arbitrary Banach space of cotype 2 extends to a bounded operator on X, then every operator from X to an L₁-space factors through a Hilbert space, or equivalently $B({\ell }_{\infty },X*)=\Pi ₂({\ell }_{\infty },X*)$. If in addition X has the Gaussian average property, then it is of type 2. This implies that the same conclusion holds if X has the Gordon-Lewis property (in particular X could be a Banach...

It is shown that there is a subspace $Z_q$ of ${\ell }_q$ for $1<q<2$ which is isomorphic to ${\ell }_q$ such that ${\ell }_q/Z_q$ does not have the approximation property. On the other hand, for $2<p<\infty$ there is a subspace $Y_p$ of ${\ell }_p$ such that $Y_p$ does not have the approximation property (AP) but the quotient space ${\ell }_p/Y_p$ is isomorphic to ${\ell }_p$. The result is obtained by defining random “Enflo-Davie spaces” $Y_p$ which with full probability fail AP for all $2<p\le \infty$ and have AP for all $1\le p\le 2$. For $1<p\le 2$, $Y_p$ are isomorphic to ${\ell }_p$.

We consider two operator space versions of type and cotype, namely $S_p$-type, $S_q$-cotype and type (p,H), cotype (q,H) for a homogeneous Hilbertian operator space H and 1 ≤ p ≤ 2 ≤ q ≤ ∞, generalizing “OH-cotype 2” of G. Pisier. We compute type and cotype of some Hilbertian operator spaces and $L_p$ spaces, and we investigate the relationship between a homogeneous Hilbertian space H and operator spaces with cotype (2,H). As applications we consider operator space versions of generalized little Grothendieck’s...

 We prove a geometric characterization of Banach space stability. We show that a Banach space X is stable if and only if the following condition holds. Whenever $\widehat{X}$ is an ultrapower of X and B is a ball in $\widehat{X}$, the intersection B ∩ X can be uniformly approximated by finite unions and intersections of balls in X; furthermore, the radius of these balls can be taken arbitrarily close to the radius of B, and the norm of their centers arbitrarily close to the norm of the center of B.  The preceding condition...