No label defined (Q4241769)

The main result of this paper is that if \({\mathcal X}= (X,{\mathcal B},\mu,T)\) is a simple dynamical system (i.e., the only ergodic self joinings of \(T\) are those arising from the centralizer of \(T\)), and \({\mathcal Y}= (Y,{\mathcal Y},\nu,S)\) is a Gaussian dynamical system, then \({\mathcal X}\) and \({\mathcal Y}\) are disjoint (i.e., the only joining between \(T\) and \(S\) is the product measure \(\mu\times \nu\). \textit{J.-P. Thouvenot} [Ergodic theory and its connections with harmonic analysis, Proc. Alexandria Conf., London Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 205, 207-235 (1995; Zbl 0848.28009)] previously proved this result under the stronger condition that \({\mathcal X}\) has minimal self-joinings. It is well known that Gaussian dynamical systems have the property of being infinitely divisible (a system is divisible if it splits as a direct product of two of its factors). Katok and Thouvenot (unpublished) have constructed examples of infinitely divisible systems having discrete spectrum and also weakly mixing examples having rank one. Recently, Thouvenot has shown the above result can be weakened to the assumption that \({\mathcal Y}\) is the time one map in a flow which is infinitely divisible.