Equal signs additive sequences in Banach spaces

A sequence (e_n) spanning a Banach space E is called ESA or equal signs additive if the norm of a linear combination of the e_i's does not change when adjacent coefficients of equal sign are combined. Call the sequence (e_n) regular if neither E nor its dual contain an isomorphic copy of c₀. It is shown that a regular ESA sequence is a boundedly complete and 1-shrinking basis for its span which is thus quasi-reflexive. It is further possible to replace a regular ESA norm by an equivalent ESA norm rendering E isometrically isomorphic to its second dual. A sequence (e_n) is called IS or invariant under spreading if the norm of a linear combination of the e_i's does not change when the mutual distances of the terms in the sequence (but not their relative positions) change. We give a simple construction of an unconditional norm for an IS sequence, hence, in particular, for an ESA sequence. Also, an inverse construction is obtained: We prove that each unconditional IS basis gives rise to an ESA basis by means of an inversion formula; to nonequivalent IS unconditional bases correspond nonequivalent ESA bases. It follows that nonisomorphic ESA bases are plentiful.