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Abstract

We introduce two new notions of amenability for a Banach algebra A. The algebra A is n-weakly amenable (for n ∈ ℕ) if the first continuous cohomology group of A with coefficients in the n th dual space $A^{(n)}$ is zero; i.e., $ℋ^1(A,A^{(n)}) = {0}$. Further, A is permanently weakly amenable if A is n-weakly amenable for each n ∈ ℕ. We begin by examining the relations between m-weak amenability and n-weak amenability for distinct m,n ∈ ℕ. We then examine when Banach algebras in various classes are n-weakly amenable; we study group algebras, C*-algebras, Banach function algebras, and algebras of operators. Our results are summarized and some open questions are raised in the final section.