Pointwise characteristic factors for the multiterm return times theorem (Q2908137)

The authors introduce a notion of ``pointwise characteristic factors for the multiterm return times averages'' as follows.NEWLINENEWLINEDefinition. Consider a measure-preserving system \((X,\mathcal{F},\mu,T)\). The factor \(\mathcal{A}\) is a pointwise characteristic factor for the \(k\)-th return times averages if for each \(f\in L^{\infty}(\mu)\) we can find a set of full measure \(X_f\) with the following property: for each \(x \in X_f\), for each other dynamical system \((Y_1,\mathcal{G}_1,\nu_1,S_1)\) and \(g_1 \in L^{\infty}(\nu_1)\), there exists a set of full measure \(Y_{g_1}\) such that for each \(y_1 \in Y_{g_1}\) then for each other dynamical system \((Y_{k-1},\mathcal{G}_{k-1},\nu_{k-1},S_{k-1})\) and \(g_{k-1} \in L^{\infty}(\nu_{k-1})\), there exists a set of full measure \(Y_{g_{k-1}}\) such that for each \(y_{k-1} \in Y_{g_{k-1}}\), for each other dynamical system \((Y_{k},\mathcal{G}_{k},\nu_{k},S_{k})\) for \(\nu_k\)-almost every \(y_k\) the average NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\frac1{N}\sum_{n=1}^{N}[f(T^nx)-\mathbb{E}(f|\mathcal{A})(T^nx)]g_1(S_1^ny_1)\cdots g_k(S_k^ny_k)NEWLINE\]NEWLINE converges to \(0\).NEWLINENEWLINEThey prove that the \(k\)-step distal factors introduced by Furstenberg and the Host-Kra-Ziegler factors are pointwise characteristic factors for the multiterm return times averages.