Strictly ergodic distal models and a new approach to the Host-Kra factors (Q2108027)

Nonconventional ergodic averages of the form \[\frac{1}{N}\sum_{n=0}^{N-1}f_1(T^nx)f_2(T^{2n}x)\cdots f_k(T^{kn}x)\] for a \(\mu\)-preserving system \(T\colon(X,\mu)\to(X,\mu)\) and functions \(f_1,\dots,f_k\in L^{\infty}(X,\mu)\) became important in Furstenberg's ergodic approach to Szemerédi's theorem (see [\textit{H. Furstenberg}, J. Anal. Math. 31, 204--256 (1977; Zbl 0347.28016); \textit{E. Szemerédi}, Acta Arith. 27, 199--245 (1975; Zbl 0303.10056)]). In this argument a key step was to show that the limit infimum is positive when all the functions are of the form \(1_A\) for a set \(A\) with \(\mu(A)>0\). Characteristic factors and their role in controlling the behavior of the averages emerged from this work. \textit{B. Host} and \textit{B. Kra} [Ann. Math. (2) 161, No. 1, 397--488 (2005; Zbl 1077.37002)] developed the characteristic factors approach to an enormous extent, showing that ergodic averages of this form have a characteristic factor which is an inverse limit of nilsystems, leading ultimately to their proof of \(L^2\) convergence of these averages. The construction of these characteristic factors is technically complex, and the main purpose of the work here is to develop a conceptual simplification of the main step in the construction. This involves finding a topological model for the characteristic factor that is a dynamical nilspace, whose origins lie in the work of \textit{B. Host} and \textit{B. Kra} [loc. cit.], that was developed by \textit{O. A. Camarena} and \textit{B. Szegedy} [``Nilspaces, nilmanifolds and their morphisms'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1009.3825}].