Even Kakutani equivalence via \(\overarrow\alpha\) and \(\overarrow\beta\) equivalence in \(\mathbb Z^ 2\). (Q700614)

A representation theorem of \textit{A. B. Katok} [Astérisque 49 (1977), 117--140 (1978; Zbl 0388.28024)] shows that a free, ergodic measure-preserving \(\mathbb R^d\) action can be represented as a suspension flow over a free, ergodic measure-preserving base \(\mathbb Z^d\) action, with some control over the ceiling function. \textit{D. J. Rudolph} showed that the ceiling function may be taken to have a restricted set of values [Measure and measurable dynamics, Proc. Conf., Rochester/NY 1987, Contemp. Math. 94, 271--290 (1989; Zbl 0712.52018)]. Actions of \(\mathbb Z^d\) are said to be even Kakutani equivalent if they arise as sections with equal frequency in different representations of the same \(\mathbb R^d\) action, and are \(\overarrow\alpha\) equivalent if the suspension arises from a tiling determined by parameters \(\{1+\alpha_1,\dots,1+\alpha_t\}\) for some \(\alpha_i>0\). \textit{K. K. Park} [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 195, 335--353 (1995; Zbl 0878.28008)] showed that for \(d=1\) the even Kakutani equivalence classes are spanned by \(\overarrow\alpha\) and \(\overarrow\beta\) equivalence where \(t=1\) and \(\{1,\alpha_1^{-1},\beta_1^{-1}\}\) are irrationally related. The main result of this paper extends this to \(\mathbb Z^2\) actions. Instead of constructing tilings directly -- which in higher dimensions leads to intractable tiling problems -- the authors view even Kakutani equivalence as a restricted orbit equivalence in the spirit of \textit{A. Del Junco} and \textit{D. J. Rudolph} [Ergodic Theory Dyn. Syst. 4, 89--104 (1984; Zbl 0552.28021)], and view \(\overline\alpha\) equivalence as a restricted orbit equivalence in the spirit of the second author [Ergodic Theory Dyn. Syst. 18, 1211--1255 (1998; Zbl 0943.37001)].