On weak product recurrence and synchronization of return times (Q2437416)

For a dynamical system \((X,f)\) and a family \(\mathcal F\) of subsets of integers, a recurrent point \(x\in X\) is \(\mathcal F\)-product recurrent if \((x,y)\) is a recurrent point of \((X\times Y, f\times g)\) for any \(\mathcal F\)-recurrent point \(y\) of any dynamical system \((Y,g)\). It is proved that a point is \{piecewise-syndetic\}-product recurrent if and only if it is \{infinite\}-product recurrent (i.e.~distal). This answers a question of \textit{P. Dong} et al. [Isr. J. Math. 188, 463--507 (2012; Zbl 1257.37017)] and gives two new conditions equivalent to distality of a point. The authors also study return times of weakly mixing sets. Recall that a set \(A\) is weakly mixing of order \(n\) if for every open sets \(U_i,V_i\) (\(1\leq i\leq n\)) intersecting \(A\) there is \(k\) such that \(f^k(V_i\cap A)\) intersects \(U_i\) for every \(i\). It is shown that every weakly mixing set \(A\) of order \(2\) contains a dense set of points \(x\) such that, for every open set \(V\) intersecting \(A\), the return times set \(N(x,V)\) is an IP-set. This gives a short proof of Furstenberg's theorem on disjointness of weakly mixing systems from minimal distal systems. Further, the result implies that any weakly mixing set of order \(2\) with dense distal points is weakly mixing of all orders, and contains a residual subset of weakly product recurrent points (i.e.~points \(x\) such that \((x,y)\) is product recurrent for every minimal point \(y\)) which are not product recurrent. On the other hand, the authors exhibit a Toeplitz flow with positive entropy such that no weakly mixing set contains a weakly product recurrent point. The final result states that for every point \(x\) of a weakly mixing set \(A\), a typical point of \(A\) is proximal to \(x\).