Zero-entropy algebraic \(\mathbb{Z}^d\)-actions that do not exhibit rigidity (Q1395920)

Isomorphism rigidity (the property that measurable conjugacies must coincide a.e. with an affine map) was shown for irreducible algebraic \(\mathbb{Z}^d\) (\(d>1\)) actions by \textit{B. Kitchens} and \textit{K. Schmidt} [Invent. Math. 142, 559-577 (2000; Zbl 0970.22006)]. Irreducibility implies that all \(\mathbb{Z}^2\)-subactions have zero entropy, and they raised the question of whether isomorphism rigidity extends to zero-entropy \(\mathbb{Z}^d\)-actions of higher entropy rank (in which there are \(\mathbb{Z}^r\)-subactions of positive entropy for some \(r\), \(1<r<d\)). In this important contribution, an example of a \(\mathbb{Z}^8\)-action is found that does not exhibit isomorphism rigidity. This is far from the end of the story. In subsequent work by the same author, a weaker form of rigidity is recovered for zero entropy \(\mathbb{Z}^d\)-actions on zero-dimensional groups: measurable conjugacies coincide a.e. with a `polynomial map' whose properties are governed by the entropy rank, and in particular measurable conjugacies must be continuous.