Abstract
Recurrence properties of systems and associated sets of integers that suffice for recurrence are classical objects in topological dynamics. We describe relations between recurrence in different sorts of systems, study ways to formulate finite versions of recurrence, and describe connections to combinatorial problems. In particular, we show that sets of Bohr recurrence (meaning sets of recurrence for rotations) suffice for recurrence in nilsystems. Additionally, we prove an extension of this property for multiple recurrence in affine systems.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
After this paper was submitted, Wenbo Sun adapted the methods we use to generalize this theorem, showing that a set of \(s\)-recurrence for \(s\)-step nilsystems is also a set of \(t\)-recurrence for all \(t\ge s\).
References
Auslander, J.: Minimal Flows and their Extensions. North-Holland Mathematics Studies. North-Holland Publishing Co., Amsterdam (1988)
Auslander, L., Green, L., Hahn, F.: Flows on homogeneous spaces. With the assistance of L. Markus and W. Massey, and an appendix by L. Greenberg. Annals of Mathematics Studies, No. 53. Princeton University Press, Princeton (1963)
Bergelson, V.: Ergodic Ramsey theory. Logic and combinatorics (Arcata, Calif., 1985). Contemp. Math., vol. 65, pp. 63–87. American Mathematical Society, Providence (1987)
Bergelson, V.: Ergodic Ramsey theory-an update. Ergodic theory of \(\mathbb{Z}^d\) actions (Warwick, 1993–1994). London Math. Soc. Lecture Note Ser., vol. 228, pp. 1–61. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1996)
Bergelson, V., Høland Knutson, I., McCutcheon, R.: IP-systems, generalized polynomials and recurrence. Ergod. Theory Dyn. Syst. 26(4), 999–1019 (2006)
Bergelson, V., Leibman, A.: Polynomial extensions of van der Waerden’s and Szemerédi’s theorems. J. Am. Math. Soc. 9(3), 725–753 (1996)
Bergelson, V., Ruzsa, I.: Squarefree numbers, IP sets and ergodic theory. Paul Erdős and his mathematics, I (Budapest, 1999). Bolyai Soc. Math. Stud., vol. 11, pp. 147–160. Já nos Bolyai Math. Soc., Budapest (2002)
Blanchard, F., Glasner, E., Kolyada, S., Maass, A.: On Li-Yorke pairs. J. Reine Angew. Math. 547, 51–68 (2002)
Boshernitzan, M., Glasner, E.: On two recurrence problems. Fund. Math. 206, 113–130 (2009)
Brown, T., Graham, R., Landman, B.: On the set of common differences in van der Waerden’s theorem on arithmetic progressions. Can. Math. Bull. 42(1), 25–36 (1999)
Dong, P., Donoso, S., Maass, A., Shao, S., Ye, X.: Infinite-step nilsystems, independence and complexity. Ergod. Theory Dyn. Syst. 33(1), 118–143 (2013)
Frantzikinakis, N.: Multiple recurrence and convergence for Hardy sequences of polynomial growth. J. Anal. Math. 112, 79–135 (2010)
Frantzikinakis, N., Host, B., Kra, B.: Multiple recurrence and convergence for sequences related to the prime numbers. J. Reine Angew. Math. 611, 131–144 (2007)
Frantzikinakis, N., Leisgne, E., Wierdl, M.: Sets of \(k\)-recurrence but not \((k+1)\)-recurrence. Ann. Inst. Fourier (Grenoble) 56(4), 839–849 (2006)
Frantzikinakis, N., McCutcheon, R.: Ergodic Theory: Recurrence. Encyclopedia of Complexity and System Science, vol. 5, pp. 3083–3095. Springer (2009)
Frantzikinakis, N., Wierdl, M.: A Hardy field extension of Szemerédi’s theorem. Adv. Math. 222(1), 1–43 (2009)
Furstenberg, H.: Disjointness in ergodic theory, minimal sets, and a problem in Diophantine approximation. Math. Syst. Theory 1, 1–49 (1967)
Furstenberg, H.: Poincaré recurrence and number theory. Bull. Am. Math. Soc. (N.S.) 5(3), 211–234 (1981)
Furstenberg, H.: Recurrence in Ergodic Theory and Combinatorial Number Theory. Princeton University Press, Princeton (1981)
Furstenberg, H., Weiss, B.: Topological dynamics and combinatorial number theory. J. Anal. Math. 34, 61–85 (1978)
Glasner, E.: Divisible properties and the Stone-Čech compactification. Can. J. Math. 32(4), 993–1007 (1980)
Host, B., Kra, B.: Nonconventional ergodic averages and nilmanifolds. Ann. Math. 161(1), 397–488 (2005)
Host, B., Kra, B.: Nil–Bohr sets of integers. Ergod. Theory Dyn. Syst. 31(1), 113–142 (2011)
Host, B., Kra, B., Maass, A.: Nilsequences and a topological structure theorem. Adv. Math. 224(1), 103–129 (2010)
Host, B., Kra, B., Maass, A.: Complexity of nilsystems and systems lacking nilfactors. J. Anal. Math. 124, 261–295 (2014)
Huang, W., Shao, S., Ye, X.: Nil Bohr-sets and almost automorphy of higher order. Mem. Am. Math. Soc. (to appear) (2014)
Katznelson, Y.: Chromatic numbers of Cayley graphs on \({\mathbb{Z}}\) and recurrence. Combinatorica 21(2), 211–219 (2001)
Kriz, I.: Large independent sets in shift-invariant graphs. Solution of Bergelson’s problem. Graphs Comb. 3, 145–158 (1987)
Leibman, A.: Polynomial sequences in groups. J. Algebra 201(1), 189–206 (1998)
McCutcheon, R.: Three results in recurrence. Ergodic theory and its connections with harmonic analysis (Alexandria, 1993). London Math. Soc. Lecture Note Ser., vol. 205, pp. 349–358. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1995)
McCutcheon, R.: Elemental Methods in Ergodic Ramsey Theory. Lecture Notes in Mathematics, vol. 1722. Springer, Berlin (1999)
Parry, W.: Ergodic properties of affine transformations and flows on nilmanifolds. Am. J. Math. 91, 757–771 (1969)
Pavlov, R.: Some counterexamples in topological dynamics. Ergod. Theory Dyn. Syst. 28(4), 1291–1322 (2008)
Sárkőzy, A.: On difference sets of sequences of integers. I. Acta Math. Acadm. Sci. Hungar. 31, 125–149 (1978)
Shao, S., Ye, X.: Regionally proximal relation of order d is an equivalence one for minimal systems and a combinatorial consequence. Adv. Math. 231(3–4), 1786–1817 (2012)
Weiss, B.: Single orbit dynamics. In: CBMS Regional Conference Series in Mathematics, vol. 95. American Mathematical Society, Providence (2000)
Wierdl, M.: Pointwise ergodic theorem along the prime numbers. Israel J. Math. 64(3), 315–336 (1988)
van der Werden, B.L.: Beweis einer Baudetschen Vermutung. Nieuw Arch. Wish. 15, 212–216 (1927)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by H. Bruin.
The second author was partially supported by NSF Grant DMS-\(1200971\) and the third author was partially supported by the Bézout Chair of the Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Host, B., Kra, B. & Maass, A. Variations on topological recurrence. Monatsh Math 179, 57–89 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00605-015-0765-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00605-015-0765-0