On the absence of multiple mixing and on the centralizer of measure-preserving actions (Q2352620)

The paper studies the threefold mixing property for invertible measure-preserving mappings of the unit interval into itself. The notion of threefold mixing has been introduced by \textit{V. A. Rokhlin} [Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat. 13, 329--340 (1949; Zbl 0032.28402)], where he also described a certain class of transformations for which mixing or twofold mixing implies threefold mixing. The question of whether or not mixing implies multiple mixing is known as {Rokhlin's problem}. For the actions of the group \(\mathbb Z ^d\) when \(d>1\) counterexamples are known. These examples are essentially based on Ledrappier's argument from [\textit{F. Ledrappier}, C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. A 287, 561--563 (1978; Zbl 0387.60084)] in which he shows the existence of a mixing action \(L\) of the group \(\mathbb Z^2\) and a set \(A, \mu (A) = \frac{1}{2}\), such that \[ \mu (L^{(2^k,0)}A\cap L^{(0,2^k)}A\cap A) = 0 \] for any positive integer \(k\). Hence the action \(L\) is mixing but not threefold mixing. On the other hand, according to the author's previous works [Math. Notes 95, No. 2, 253--266 (2014; Zbl 1370.37004); translation from Mat. Zametki 95, No. 2, 282--299 (2014); Russ. Math. Surv. 67, No. 4, 779--780 (2012; Zbl 1284.37005); translation from Usp. Mat. Nauk 67, No. 4, 187--188 (2012)], a typical mixing action of the group \(\mathbb Z^d\) is threefold mixing, thus Ledrappier's example can be viewed as an exception. To develop this point of view, in the current paper, the author introduces the notion of \(L\)-system. The action of a topological group is said to have an \(L\)-{limit} if there are mixing sequences \(T_i\) and \(S_i\) and a set \(A, \mu (A) = 1/2\), such that \(\mu (T_iA\cap S_iA\cap A)\to 0\). The actions with an \(L\)-limit are called \(L\)-{systems}. The key result in the paper is Proposition 2 which states that for an arbitrary \(L\)-system and a transformation \(U\) commuting with the associated mixing transformations \(\{T_i\}, \{S_i\}\) of this system, the measure \(\mu (UA\cap A)\) is equal to either \(1/2\) or \(1/4\). Using this claim the author draws several interesting corollaries. For example, it is shown that flows (i.e., actions of the group \(\mathbb R\)) and even-multidimensional flows (i.e., actions of the group \(\mathbb R^d\)) are not \(L\)-systems. In particular, the action of the group \(\mathbb Z^2\) from Ledrappier's example cannot be embedded in the action of the plane.