Extending representations of Banach algebras to their biduals

We show that a representation of a Banach algebra $A$ on a Banach space $X$ can be extended to a canonical representation of $A^{**}$ on $X$ if and only if certain orbit maps $A\to X$ are weakly compact. When this is the case, we show that the essential space of the representation is complemented if $A$ has a bounded left approximate identity. This provides a tool to disregard the difference between degenerate and nondegenerate representations. Our results have interesting consequences both in C*-algebras and in abstract harmonic analysis. For example, a C*-algebra $A$ has an isometric representation on an $L^p$-space, for $p\in[1,\infty)\setminus\{2\}$, if and only if $A$ is commutative. Moreover, the $L^p$-operator algebra of a locally compact group is universal with respect to arbitrary representations on $L^p$-spaces.