Extensions of generic measure-preserving actions (Q486767)

Let \(G\) denote the group of automorphisms of a standard atomless probability space \((X,\mu)\) together with its Polish group topology. Then for any group \(\Gamma\) the set of measure-preserving \(\Gamma\)-actions on \((X,\mu)\) (equivalently, the set of homomorphisms \(\Gamma\rightarrow G\)) may be identified with a closed subset of \(G^{\Gamma}\) with the product topology, making it into a Polish space. One can then study properties that are or are not generic in this space. Here the question of whether an action of a subgroup \(\Gamma_1\) of a countable group \(\Gamma_2\) extends to an action of \(\Gamma_2\). It is well-known that this is not possible in general. Here it is shown that if \(\Gamma_1\) is finitely generated and \(\Gamma_2\) is abelian, then a generic action of \(\Gamma_1\) extends to an action of \(\Gamma_2\). The approach uses category-preserving maps and a generalization of the Kuratowski-Ulam theorem first exploited in work of the author and \textit{T. Tsankov} [Isr. J. Math. 198, 129--167 (2013; Zbl 1279.43002)].