[Math] cantor intersection theorem in banach space

banach-spacesconvex-analysisfunctional-analysisgeneral-topology

Here is part of the question in my HW. Let$\ \{C_n\}\subset X $ be a bounded nested decreasing sequence of closed and convex sets. I am asked to show that $\bigcap C_n \not= \emptyset$ iff X is reflexive.
My intuitive tell me that Kakutani theorem can possibly be used to find a convergent subsequence in each $C_n$. However,I can't show that these sequences converge to a same point. Alternatively, The hint says that the sets $C_n$ are weakly closed by using the Separating Hyperplane theorem and its corollaries. If I can show the weakly closed part , then by weakly compactness there might be an accumulation point in the intersection.

Could anyone tell me how to show the sequence is weakly closed as suggested in the hint and the nonempty intersection part? Thanks in advance !

Best Answer

A closed an convex set $C$ in a Banach space is also weakly closed: Suppose $x \not\in C$, then by Hahn-Banach (the seperating hyperplane theorem, I suppose) there is a functional $x^* \in X^*$ and a $\alpha \in \mathbb R$ such that $\sup_{y\in C}\Re x^*(y) \le \alpha$, $\Re x^*(x) > \alpha$. Now $\{\Re x^* > \alpha\}$ is a weakly neighbourhood of $x$ disjoint from $C$, so $X\setminus C$ is weakly open, hence $C$ is weakly closed.

For the non-empty intersection part, we use the weak compactness: As the $C_n$ are decreasing and not empty, finitely many of them have non-empty intersection, as they are compact, $\bigcap_n C_n \ne \emptyset$.