We show that every free semigroup algebra has a (strongly) unique Banach space predual. We also provide a new simpler proof that a weak-$*$ closed unital operator algebra containing a weak-$*$ dense subalgebra of compact operators has a unique Banach space predual.

Let $(X,d)$ be a metric space, and let $\mathop{\textrm{Lip}}(X)$ denote the Banach space of all scalar-valued bounded Lipschitz functions $f$ on $X$ endowed with one of the natural norms $ \| f\| =\max \{\| f\| _\infty ,L(f)\}$ or $\|f\| =\| f\| _\infty +L(f), $ where $L(f)$ is the Lipschitz constant of $f.$ It is said that the isometry group of $\mathop{\textrm{Lip}}(X)$ is canonical if every surjective linear isometry of $\mathop{\textrm{Lip}}(X) $ is induced by a surjective isometry of $X$. In this paper we prove that if $X$ is bounded separable and the isometry group of $\mathop{\textrm{Lip}}(X)$ is canonical, then every $2$-local isometry of $\mathop{\textrm{Lip}}(X)$ is a surjective linear isometry. Furthermore, we give a complete description of all $2$-local isometries of $\mathop{\textrm{Lip}}(X)$ when $X$ is bounded.

Motivated by a question of Per Enflo, we develop a hypercube criterion for locating linear isometric copies of $\lone$ in an arbitrary real normed space $X$. The said criterion involves finding $2^{n}$ points in $X$ that satisfy one metric equality. This contrasts nicely to the standard classical criterion wherein one seeks $n$ points that satisfy $2^{n-1}$ metric equalities.

We define embedding of an $n$-dimensional normed space into $L_{-p}$, $0
Categories:42A82, 46B04, 46F12, 60E07

As a consequence of results due to Bourgain and Stegall, on a separable Banach space whose unit ball is not dentable, the set of norm attaining functionals has empty interior (in the norm topology). First we show that any Banach space can be renormed to fail this property. Then, our main positive result can be stated as follows: if a separable Banach space $X$ is very smooth or its bidual satisfies the $w^{\ast }$-Mazur intersection property, then either $X$ is reflexive or the set of norm attaining functionals has empty interior, hence the same result holds if $X$ has the Mazur intersection property and so, if the norm of $X$ is Fr\'{e}chet differentiable. However, we prove that smoothness is not a sufficient condition for the same conclusion.