Rigidity of a class of smooth singular flows on \(\mathbb{T}^2\) (Q1986968): Difference between revisions

Von Neumann flows [\textit{J. von Neumann}, Ann. Math. (2) 33, 587--642 (1932; Zbl 0005.12203)] were introduced as examples of flows with continuous spectrum, and they have turned out to be special representations of a class of \(C^{\infty}\) singular smooth flows on the \(2\)-torus. These are given by a smooth vector field on the torus with finitely many points (the singular points) removed. Here the case of a single singularity is considered. For this class of von Neumann flows disjointness is characterized and, for a full measure set of associated frequencies, the smooth time changes of the the flow exhibit joining rigidity, meaning that any two time changes are either disjoint or cohomologous. This gives a class of flows for which a question raised by \textit{M. Ratner} [Invent. Math. 88, 341--374 (1987; Zbl 0697.58046)] can be answered.