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An infinite-dimensional tensor-dual functional outside the image

Statement refuted

The finitely proved identification of Finite tensor duality and basis-independent coevaluation, read without its finite-dimensional hypothesis, would say that the canonical map V∗⊗V∗→(V⊗V)∗, f⊗g↦[v⊗w↦f(v)g(w)], is surjective for every k-vector space V.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: An infinite set I, a field k, the free module V=k(I)=⨁i∈Ik with standard basis (ei)i∈I, and the functional L∈(V⊗V)∗ with L(ei⊗ej)=δij.

[F1]

The free module on I has standard basis (ei) with unique finite expansions, and a set map from a basis into a module extends uniquely to a linear map (The free module on a set and its standard basis, Universal property of the free module on a set).

[F2]

The elementary tensors ei⊗ej of two bases form a basis of V⊗V (The elementary tensors of two bases form the product basis of the tensor product).

[F3]

The algebraic dual V∗ is the space of linear functionals V→k; the coordinate functionals ej∗ with ej∗(ei)=δij exist by [F1] (Linear functionals and the algebraic dual V∗=L(V,F)).

[F5]

If a vector space has a spanning set with n elements, then every linearly independent subset of it is finite with at most n elements (If V has a spanning set with n elements, then every linearly independent subset of V is finite with at most n elements; in particular V has no linearly independent subset equinumerous with N).

[F6]

Every element of a tensor product is a finite sum of elementary tensors, and bilinear pairings induce linear maps by its universal property (Scalars, tensor powers, the empty tensor, opposite algebras and finite sums).

Counterexample

technique · direct

Let I be an infinite set, let V=k(I) have basis (ei)i∈I, and let L∈(V⊗V)∗ be the linear functional determined on the product basis by L(ei⊗ej)=δij. Then L is not in the image of the canonical map V∗⊗V∗→(V⊗V)∗, f⊗g↦[v⊗w↦f(v)g(w)]: the tensor-dual identification is a finite-dimensional phenomenon, and for I=N the outside functional is the coefficient pairing (∑nanen)⊗(∑mbmem)↦∑nanbn, which is not a finite sum of products of functionals.

1.1givenF1F2F3F4F6algebra

For f,g∈V∗, the bilinear pairing (v,w)↦f(v)g(w) defines a functional θ(f,g)∈(V⊗V)∗ by [F6]; the assignment (f,g)↦θ(f,g) is itself bilinear, so [F6] gives a linear map θ:V∗⊗V∗→(V⊗V)∗ with θ(f⊗g)(v⊗w)=f(v)g(w), without a finite-dimensional hypothesis. The product basis (ei⊗ej)(i,j)∈I×I of [F2] is a basis of V⊗V, so prescribing the values L(ei⊗ej)=δij on it defines a unique linear functional L∈(V⊗V)∗ by [F1]; in particular L is well defined and I×I, hence I, is infinite. Likewise the coordinate functionals ej∗ of [F3] are well defined, and the set S:={ej∗:j∈I}⊆V∗ is infinite because j↦ej∗ is injective (they take different values at the single vector ej), and it is linearly independent: if ∑l=1rλlejl∗=0 is a finite relation with distinct indices j1,…,jr, evaluating at ejl gives λl=0.

2.1step 1.1F5F6algebra

Suppose L is the image of an element of V∗⊗V∗, written as a finite sum ∑s=1mfs⊗gs of elementary tensors by [F6]. For fixed j∈I the functional v↦L(v⊗ej) is the coordinate functional ej∗, because L(ei⊗ej)=δij, and by the canonical-map formula in step 1.1 it is also ∑s=1mfs(⋅)gs(ej)=∑s=1mgs(ej)fs; hence every ej∗ lies in the finite-dimensional span of f1,…,fm. Thus the infinite linearly independent set S of step 1.1 lies in a space spanned by m elements, contradicting [F5], which forbids an infinite linearly independent subset in such a space.

3.1step 2.1F6algebra∎

No finite sum ∑sfs⊗gs can have image L, so L lies outside the image of the canonical map and the map is not surjective for this infinite-dimensional V: surjectivity of V∗⊗V∗→(V⊗V)∗ is a finite-dimensional phenomenon, as claimed. For I=N and v=∑nanen, w=∑mbmem (finite sums) one computes L(v⊗w)=∑n,manbmL(en⊗em)=∑nanbn, so the outside functional is exactly the coefficient pairing, which is not a finite sum of products of functionals by step 2.1.

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