On manifolds supporting distributionally uniquely ergodic diffeomorphisms (Q2339787)

Dynamical properties of a map \(f:X\to X\) may be studied via two associated linear maps, \(f^\ast\) on any space of functions on \(X\) defined by \(f^\ast\phi=\phi\circ f\), and its adjoint \(f_\ast\) which (under suitable topological hypotheses) then acts on the space of complex finite measures or on the space of distributions on \(X\). The fixed points of \(f_{\ast}\) on the space of measures are the \(f\)-invariant measures, and on an appropriate space of distributions are the \(f\)-invariant distributions. The setting here is smooth dynamics, so \(X\) is some closed smooth manifold \(M\) and \(f\) is a \(C^r\)-diffeomorphism. In this case, each linear subspace \(C^k(M,\mathbb{C})\) for \(0\leqslant k\leqslant r\leqslant\infty\) is preserved by \(f^{\ast}\), which acts as a continuous isomorphism with respect to the \(C^k\)-uniform topology. Thus its adjoint \(f_{\ast}\) acts on the space of distributions up to order \(k\) and any fixed points of this action are the invariant distributions. The property ``distributionally uniquely ergodic'' (DUE) of the title is the property that \(f\) is uniquely ergodic (so there is exactly one invariant probability measure) and the only invariant distribution is that measure. Irrational rotations of the torus are DUE, and \textit{G. Forni} [Contemp. Math. 469, 197--213 (2008; Zbl 1156.37003)] raised the question of whether DUE diffeomorphisms could exist on other manifolds. Here a delicate construction, that in particular finds replacement techniques for the harmonic analysis tools available in more homogeneous settings, is made to show that DUE diffeomorphisms on \(M=\mathbb{T}\times P\) when \(P\) is a compact nilmanifold or a homogeneous space of compact type, meaning a space of the form \(P=G/H\) for a compact Lie group \(G\) and closed subgroup \(H<G\).