For p ≥ 1, a set K in a Banach space X is said to be relatively p-compact if there exists a p-summable sequence (xₙ) in X with $K\subseteq \sum ₙ\alpha ₙxₙ:\left(\alpha ₙ\right)\in B_{{\ell }_{p^{\text{'}}}}$. We prove that an operator T: X → Y is p-compact (i.e., T maps bounded sets to relatively p-compact sets) iff T* is quasi p-nuclear. Further, we characterize p-summing operators as those operators whose adjoints map relatively compact sets to relatively p-compact sets.

Let E be an ideal of L⁰ over a σ-finite measure space (Ω,Σ,μ). For a real Banach space $(X,|\left|·\right|{|}_X)$ let E(X) be a subspace of the space L⁰(X) of μ-equivalence classes of strongly Σ-measurable functions f: Ω → X and consisting of all those f ∈ L⁰(X) for which the scalar function ${\left|\right|f\left(·\right)\left|\right|}_X$ belongs to E. Let E(X)˜ stand for the order dual of E(X). For u ∈ E⁺ let $D_u(={f\in E\left(X\right):\left|\right|f\left(·\right)\left|\right|}_X\le u)$ stand for the order interval in E(X). For a real Banach space $(Y,|\left|·\right|{|}_Y)$ a linear operator T: E(X) → Y is said to be order-bounded whenever for each u ∈ E⁺ the set...