Multiple summing operators on<Emphasis Type="Italic">C(K)</Emphasis> spaces

In this paper, we characterize, for 1≤p<∞, the multiple (p, 1)-summing multilinear operators on the product ofC(K) spaces in terms of their representing polymeasures. As consequences, we obtain a new characterization of (p, 1)-summing linear operators onC(K) in terms of their representing measures and a new multilinear characterization ofL _∞ spaces. We also solve a problem stated by M.S. Ramanujan and E. Schock, improve a result of H. P. Rosenthal and S. J. Szarek, and give new results about polymeasures. Both authors were partially supported by DGICYT grant BMF2001-1284.