Fixed points of discrete nilpotent group actions on \(S^2\) (Q1613973)

A remarkable theorem of \textit{C. Bonatti} [Ann. Math. 129, 61-69 (1989; Zbl 0689.57019)] states that commuting diffeomorphisms of a closed surface of nonvanishing Euler characteristic have a common fixed point provided they are sufficiently close to the identity in the \(C^1\)-topology. The authors generalize this result in the case of the 2-sphere \(S^2\) to discrete nilpotent subgroups of \(\text{Diff} (S^2)\). They show that for each \(k\geq 1\) there is a \(C^1\)-neighbourhood \(V_k\) of the identity with the property that every nilpotent subgroup of \(\text{Diff} (S^1)\) of nilpotency length \(k\) which can be generated by elements in \(V_k\) has a fixed point in \(S^2\). The proof combines ideas of Bonatti with same elementary properties of discrete nilpotent groups.