Generalized notions of amenability, II

This paper continues the investigation of the first two authors begun in part I. It is shown that approximate amenability and approximate contractibility are the same properties, as are uniform approximate amenability and amenability. Bounded approximate contractibility and bounded approximate amenability are characterized by the existence of suitable operator bounded approximate identities for the diagonal ideal. Results are given on Banach sequence algebras, Lipschitz algebras and Beurling algebras, and on the crucial role of approximate identities. A new proof is given for a result due to N. Grønbæk on characterizing of amenability for Beurling algebras. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved