A Banach space characterization of (sequentially) Ascoli spaces

Abstract: We prove that a Tychonoff space $X$ is an Ascoli space (resp., a sequentially Ascoli space) if and only if for each Banach space $E$, every $k$-continuous and almost $k$-compact (resp., almost $k$-sequential) map $T$ form $X$ into the Banach dual $E'$ of $E$ is continuous.