EN
We study the space of p-compact operators, $𝓚_{p}$, using the theory of tensor norms and operator ideals. We prove that $𝓚_{p}$ is associated to $/d_{p}$, the left injective associate of the Chevet-Saphar tensor norm $d_{p}$ (which is equal to $g_{p'}'$). This allows us to relate the theory of p-summing operators to that of p-compact operators. Using the results known for the former class and appropriate hypotheses on E and F we prove that $𝓚_{p}(E;F)$ is equal to $𝓚_{q}(E;F)$ for a wide range of values of p and q, and show that our results are sharp. We also exhibit several structural properties of $𝓚_{p}$. For instance, we show that $𝓚_{p}$ is regular, surjective, and totally accessible, and we characterize its maximal hull $𝓚_{p}^{max}$ as the dual ideal of p-summing operators, $Π_{p}^{dual}$. Furthermore, we prove that $𝓚_{p}$ coincides isometrically with $𝓠𝓝_{p}^{dual}$, the dual to the ideal of the quasi p-nuclear operators.