Sharp regularity for certain nilpotent group actions on the interval (Q2249458)

The paper is concerned with the dynamics of \(C^{1+\alpha}\)-diffeomorphisms of \([0,1]\), with \(0<\alpha <1,\) that is, diffeomorphisms whose derivatives are \(\alpha\)-Hölder continuous. Denoting by \(\mathrm{Diff}_{+}^{1+\alpha}([0,1])\) this group of \(C^{1+\alpha}\)-diffeomorphisms of \([0,1]\) and by \(\phi_{FF}\) the Farb-Franks' action [\textit{B. Farb} and \textit{J. Franks}, Ergodic Theory Dyn. Syst. 23, No. 5, 1467--1484 (2003; Zbl 1037.37020)], the main results established in the paper are the following. Theorem A. If \(d\geq 3\) and \(\alpha > \frac{2}{d(d-1)}\) then the action \(\phi_{FF}\) is not topologically conjugated to an action by \(C^{1+\alpha}\)-diffeomorphisms of \([0,1]\). Theorem B. For each \(d\geq 2\) and \(\alpha < \frac{2}{d(d-1)}\), the action \(\phi_{FF}\) is topologically conjugated to an action by \(C^{1+\alpha}\)-diffeomorphisms of \([0,1]\). Theorem C. For every \(\alpha < 1\), the group \(\mathrm{Diff}_{+}^{1+\alpha}([0,1])\) contains a metabelian subgroup of nilpotence degree \(d\). It is worth mentioning that: a) the proof of Theorem A follows the strategy of developing non-trivial modifications of the probabilistic techniques given in [\textit{B. Deroin} et al., Acta Math. 199, No. 2, 199--262 (2007; Zbl 1139.37025)] and [\textit{V. Kleptsyn} and \textit{A. Navas}, Mosc. Math. J. 8, No. 3, 447--492 (2008; Zbl 1156.22017)]; b) the authors conjecture that Theorem A also works in the \(C^{1+\frac{2}{d(d-1)}}\) case; c) Theorem B improves the main result of the above-mentioned Farb-Franks' paper.