Almost Auerbach, Markushevich and Schauder bases in Hilbert and Banach spaces

Abstract: For any sequence of positive numbers $(\varepsilon_n){n=1}^\infty$ such that $\sum{n=1}^\infty \varepsilon_n = \infty$ we provide an explicit simple construction of $(1+\varepsilon_n)$-bounded Markushevich basis in a separable Hilbert space which is not strong, or, in other terminology, is not hereditary complete; this condition on the sequence $(\varepsilon_n){n=1}^\infty$ is sharp. Using a finite-dimensional version of this construction, Dvoretzky's theorem and a construction of Vershynin, we conclude that in any Banach space for any sequence of positive numbers $(\varepsilon_n){n=1}^\infty$ such that $\sum_{n=1}^\infty \varepsilon_n^2 = \infty$ there exists a $(1+\varepsilon_n)$-bounded Markushevich basis which is not a Schauder basis after any permutation of its elements.