On the dynamics of generic non-abelian free actions (Q1762917)

We investigate some global generic properties of the dynamics associated to non-abelian free actions in certain special cases. The main properties considered in this paper are related to the existence of dense orbits, to ergodicity and to topological rigidity. We first deal with them in the case of conservative homeomorphisms of a manifold and \(C^1\)-diffeomorphisms of a surface. Groups of analytic diffeomorphisms of a manifold which, in addition, contain a Morse-Smale element and possess a generating set close to the identity are considered as well. From our discussion we also derive the existence of a rigidity phenomenon for groups of skew-products which is opposed to the phenomenon present in Furstenberg's celebrated example of a minimal diffeomorphism that is not ergodic [cf. \textit{R. Mañé}, ``Ergodic theory and differentiable dynamics'', Springer (1987; Zbl 0616.28007)]. Theorem A: Let \(M\) be a compact manifold \(\neq 4\) endowed with a finite volume measure \(\mu\). If the two homeomorphisms \(f_1\) and \(f_2\) of \(M\) are generic and leave \(\mu\) invariant, then the orbit of any point \(p\in M\) is dense and \(\mu\) is the unique measure simultaneously preserved by \(f_1,f_2\). This theorem is related to a theorem of Oxtobi and Ulam (1941) showing that in an arbitrary compact manifold, ergodic homeomorphisms are generic in class \(C^0\). The author's corollary C is superseded by a result of Bonatti and Crovisier (as mentioned in a note added in proofs) who have shown the existence of a dense orbit for a single generic conservative diffeomorphism of a manifold. Theorem D was obtained independently in a very similar but slightly stronger result by M. Belliart.