A relative, strictly ergodic model theorem for infinite measure-preserving systems (Q2177502)

The remarkable result of \textit{R. I. Jewett} [J. Math. Mech. 19, 717--729 (1970; Zbl 0192.40601)] and \textit{W. Krieger} [in: Proc. 6th Berkeley Sympos. math. Statist. Probab., Univ. Calif. 1970, 2, 327--346 (1972; Zbl 0262.28013)] is that any ergodic finite measure-preserving \(\mathbb{Z}\)-action is measurably isomorphic to a strictly ergodic \(\mathbb{Z}\)-action by homeomorphisms of a Cantor set. That is, any measure-preserving system has a strictly ergodic model. Viewed in the reverse direction, this means that the property of strict ergodicity for a topological dynamical system entails no abstract measure-theoretic dynamical consequence beyond the necessary ergodicity. \textit{B. Weiss} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 13, 143--146 (1985; Zbl 0615.28012)] showed how this result extends to \(G\)-actions for commutative groups \(G\) (and to amenable groups under the additional assumption that the action is free), and classified those diagrams in the category consisting of ergodic \(\mathbb{Z}\)-actions as objects and measure-preserving maps as arrows that have strictly ergodic models in the category consisting of strictly ergodic \(\mathbb{Z}\)-actions as objects and continuous measure-preserving maps as arrows. The key step in the latter is a relativized version of the Jewett-Krieger theorem finding a strictly ergodic model for an ergodic measure-theoretic extension of a strictly ergodic \(\mathbb{Z}\)-action. This was further refined by \textit{F. Béguin} et al. [Math. Z. 270, No. 1--2, 59--102 (2012; Zbl 1268.37004)], showing that the class of measurable dynamical systems with strictly ergodic models on a manifold is stable under extensions. Here these results are extended to the setting of infinite measure-preserving systems, and the two main results in the work of Weiss take the following form. First, a measure-theoretic factor map from an ergodic measure-preserving system on an infinite Lebesgue space to a strictly ergodic locally compact Cantor system has a strictly ergodic locally compact Cantor model with an open proper topological factor map. Second, the diagrams in the category of ergodic measure-preserving systems on infinite Lebesgue spaces with strictly ergodic locally compact Cantor models are determined.