We show that a regular locally compact quantum group $\mathbb{G}$ is discrete if and only if $\mathcal{L}^{\infty}(\mathbb{G})$ contains non-zero compact operators on $\mathcal{L}^{2}(\mathbb{G})$. As a corollary we classify all discrete quantum groups among regular locally compact quantum groups $\mathbb{G}$ where $\mathcal{L}^{1}(\mathbb{G})$ has the Radon--Nikodym property.

Some subadditivity inequalities for matrices and concave functions also hold for Hilbert space operators, but (unfortunately!) with an additional $\varepsilon$ term. It seems not possible to erase this residual term. However, in case of compact operators we show that the $\varepsilon$ term is unnecessary. Further, these inequalities are strict in a certain sense when some natural assumptions are satisfied. The discussion also stresses on matrices and their compressions and several open questions or conjectures are considered, both in the matrix and operator settings.

A vector measure result is used to study the complementation of the space $K(X,Y)$ of compact operators in the spaces $W(X,Y)$ of weakly compact operators, $CC(X,Y)$ of completely continuous operators, and $U(X,Y)$ of unconditionally converging operators. Results of Kalton and Emmanuele concerning the complementation of $K(X,Y)$ in $L(X,Y)$ and in $W(X,Y)$ are generalized. The containment of $c_0$ and $\ell_\infty$ in spaces of operators is also studied.

We study the complementation of the space $W(X,Y)$ of weakly compact operators, the space $K(X,Y)$ of compact operators, the space $U(X,Y)$ of unconditionally converging operators, and the space $CC(X,Y)$ of completely continuous operators in the space $L(X,Y)$ of bounded linear operators from $X$ to $Y$. Feder proved that if $X$ is infinite-dimensional and $c_0 \hookrightarrow Y$, then $K(X,Y)$ is uncomplemented in $L(X,Y)$. Emmanuele and John showed that if $c_0 \hookrightarrow K(X,Y)$, then $K(X,Y)$ is uncomplemented in $L(X,Y)$. Bator and Lewis showed that if $X$ is not a Grothendieck space and $c_0 \hookrightarrow Y$, then $W(X,Y)$ is uncomplemented in $L(X,Y)$. In this paper, classical results of Kalton and separably determined operator ideals with property $(*)$ are used to obtain complementation results that yield these theorems as corollaries.

The Banach spaces $L(X, Y)$, $K(X, Y)$, $L_{w^*}(X^*, Y)$, and $K_{w^*}(X^*, Y)$ are studied to determine when they contain the classical Banach spaces $c_o$ or $\ell_\infty$. The complementation of the Banach space $K(X, Y)$ in $L(X, Y)$ is discussed as well as what impact this complementation has on the embedding of $c_o$ or $\ell_\infty$ in $K(X, Y)$ or $L(X, Y)$. Results of Kalton, Feder, and Emmanuele concerning the complementation of $K(X, Y)$ in $L(X, Y)$ are generalized. Results concerning the complementation of the Banach space $K_{w^*}(X^*, Y)$ in $L_{w^*}(X^*, Y)$ are also explored as well as how that complementation affects the embedding of $c_o$ or $\ell_\infty$ in $K_{w^*}(X^*, Y)$ or $L_{w^*}(X^*, Y)$. The $\ell_p$ spaces for $1 = p < \infty$ are studied to determine when the space of compact operators from one $\ell_p$ space to another contains $c_o$. The paper contains a new result which classifies these spaces of operators. A new result using vector measures is given to provide more efficient proofs of theorems by Kalton, Feder, Emmanuele, Emmanuele and John, and Bator and Lewis.