Unconditional uniqueness for the derivative nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation on the real line

We prove the unconditional uniqueness of solutions to the derivative nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation (DNLS) in an almost end-point regularity. To this purpose, we employ the normal form method and we transform (a gauge-equivalent) DNLS into a new equation (the so-called normal form equation) for which nonlinear estimates can be easily established in $H^s(\mathbb{R})$, $s>\frac12$, without appealing to an auxiliary function space. Also, we prove that low-regularity solutions of DNLS satisfy the normal form equation and this is done by means of estimates in the $H^{s-1}(\mathbb{R})$-norm.