Adjoint bi-continuous semigroups and semigroups on the space of measures

Abstract

For a given bi-continuous semigroup (T(t)) t⩾0 on a Banach space X we define its adjoint on an appropriate closed subspace X° of the norm dual X′. Under some abstract conditions this adjoint semigroup is again bi-continuous with respect to the weak topology σ(X°,X). We give the following application: For Ω a Polish space we consider operator semigroups on the space Cb(Ω) of bounded, continuous functions (endowed with the compact-open topology) and on the space M(Ω) of bounded Baire measures (endowed with the weak*-topology). We show that bi-continuous semigroups on M(Ω) are precisely those that are adjoints of bi-continuous semigroups on Cb(Ω). We also prove that the class of bi-continuous semigroups on Cb(ω) with respect to the compact-open topology coincides with the class of equicontinuous semigroups with respect to the strict topology. In general, if is not a Polish space this is not the case.