We characterize the ideals of the semicrossed product $C_0(X)\times _\phi {\mathbb Z}_+$, associated with suitable sequences of closed subsets of X, with left (resp. right) approximate unit. As a consequence, we obtain a complete characterization of ideals with left (resp. right) approximate unit under the assumptions that X is metrizable and the dynamical system $(X,\phi )$ contains no periodic points.

The Birkhoff orthogonality has been recently intensively studied in connection with the geometry of Banach spaces and operator theory. The main aim of this paper is to characterize the Birkhoff orthogonality in ${\mathcal{L}}(X;Y)$ under the assumption that ${\mathcal{K}}(X;Y)$ is an $M$-ideal in ${\mathcal{L}}(X;Y)$. Moreover, we survey the known results, as well as giving some new and more general ones. Furthermore, we characterize an approximate Birkhoff orthogonality in ${\mathcal{K}}(X;Y)$.

We give an example of a Banach space X such that K (X, X) is not an ideal in K (X, X**). We prove that if z* is a weak* denting point in the unit ball of Z* and if X is a closed subspace of a Banach space Y, then the set of norm-preserving extensions H B(x* ⊗ z*) ⊆ (Z*, Y)* of a functional x* ⊗ Z* ∈ (Z ⊗ X)* is equal to the set H B(x*) ⊗ {z*}. Using this result, we show that if X is an M-ideal in Y and Z is a reflexive Banach space, then K (Z, X) is an M-ideal in K(Z, Y) whenever K (Z, X) is an ideal in K (Z, Y). We also show that K (Z, X) is an ideal (respectively, an M-ideal) in K (Z, Y) for all Banach spaces Z whenever X is an ideal (respectively, an M-ideal) in Y and X * has the compact approximation property with conjugate operators.

Suppose X and Y are closed subspaces of (ΣXn)p and (ΣYn)q (1 < p ≦ q < ∞, dim Xn < ∞, dimYn < ∞), respectively. If K(X, Y), the space of the compact linear operators from X to Y, is dense in L(X, Y), the space of the bounded linear operators from X to Y, in the strong operator topology, then K(X, Y) is an M-ideal in L(X, Y).

A theorem concerning M-summands in dual spaces is used to prove that certain known M-ideals are not M-summands. In some cases where this information was already known, our procedure greatly simplifies the earlier proofs. Finally, we give a condition to determine which M-ideals in dual spaces are M-summands and which are not.