Multiple correlation sequences and nilsequences

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Abstract: We study the structure of multiple correlation sequences defined by measure preserving actions of commuting transformations. When the iterates of the transformations are integer polynomials we prove that any such correlation sequence is the sum of a nilsequence and an error term that is small in uniform density; this was previously known only for measure preserving actions of a single transformation. We then use this decomposition result to give convergence criteria for multiple ergodic averages involving iterates that grow linearly, and prove the rather surprising fact that for such sequences, convergence results for actions of commuting transformations follow automatically from the special case of actions of a single transformation. Our proof of the decomposition result differs from previous works of V. Bergelson, B. Host, B. Kra, and A. Leibman, as it does not rely on the theory of characteristic factors. It consists of a simple orthogonality argument and the main tool is an inverse theorem of B. Host and B. Kra for general bounded sequences.


The author studies the structure of multiple correlations sequences which are sequences of the form \(\int T_1^{n_1}f_1\dots T_l^{n_l}f_l \, d\mu\) where \((X,\chi,\mu, T_1,\dots T_l)\) is a system, \(f_1,\dots, f_l \in L^{\infty} (\mu)\), \(n_1,\dots, n_l \in \mathbb{Z}\). The study of the limiting behavior of averages of such sequences, where the iterates are restricted to certain subsets of \(\mathbb{Z}^l\), has been an indispensable tool in ergodic Ramsey theory. When the iterates of the transformations are integer polynomials it is proved that any such correlation sequence is the sum of nilsequences and an error term that is small in uniform density. The author uses this decomposition result to give convergence for multiple averages and deduce some results to infer convergence for actions of commuting transformations for the special case of actions of a single transformation. The proof of the decomposition result differs from previous works. It consists of a simple orthogonality argument and the main tool is an inverse theorem of \textit{B. Host} and \textit{B. Kra} [J. Anal. Math. 108, 219--276 (2009; Zbl 1183.37011)] for general bounded sequences.




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