On k-smoothness of operators between Banach spaces

Abstract: We explore the $k$-smoothness of bounded linear operators between Banach spaces, using the newly introduced notion of index of smoothness. The characterization of the $k$-smoothness of operators between Hilbert spaces follows as a direct consequence of our study. We also investigate the $k$-smoothness of operators between polyhedral Banach spaces. In particular, we show that the $k$-smoothness of rank $1$ operators between polyhedral spaces depends heavily on the dimension of the corresponding spaces rather than the geometry of the spaces. The results obtained in this article generalize and improve upon the existing results in the $k$-smoothness of operators between Banach spaces.