Approximate and pseudo-amenability of various classes of Banach algebras

We continue the investigation of notions of approximate amenability that were introduced in work of the second and third authors together with R.J. Loy. It is shown that every boundedly approximately contractible Banach algebra has a bounded approximate identity, and that the Fourier algebra of the free group on two generators is not operator approximately amenable. Further examples are obtained of 1-semigroup algebras which are approximately amenable but not amenable; using these, we show that bounded approximate contractibility need not imply sequential approximate amenability. Results are also given for Segal algebras on locally compact groups, and algebras of p-pseudo-functions on discrete groups. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.