Rationally almost periodic sequences, polynomial multiple recurrence and symbolic dynamics

DOI10.1017/ETDS.2017.130zbMATH Open1422.37008arXiv1611.08392OpenAlexW2994397213WikidataQ131317259 ScholiaQ131317259MaRDI QIDQ5227735FDOQ5227735

M. Lemańczyk, Joanna Kułaga, V. Bergelson, Florian Karl Richter

Publication date: 7 August 2019

Published in: Ergodic Theory and Dynamical Systems (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: A set

R s u b s e t m a t h b b N

is called rational if it is well-approximable by finite unions of arithmetic progressions. Examples of rational sets include many classical sets of number-theoretical origin such as the set of squarefree numbers, the set of abundant numbers, or sets of the form

, where

x i n [0, 1]

and

is Euler's totient function. We investigate the combinatorial and dynamical properties of rational sets and obtain new results in ergodic Ramsey theory. We show that if

R

is a rational set with

o v e r l i n e d (R) > 0

, then the following are equivalent: (a)

R

is divisible, i.e.

o v e r l i n e d (R c a p u m a t h b b N) > 0

for all

u i n m a t h b b N

. (b)

R

is an averaging set of polynomial single recurrence. (c)

R

is an averaging set of polynomial multiple recurrence. As an application, we show that if

R

is rational and divisible, then for any set

E s u b s e t m a t h b b N

with

o v e r l i n e d (E) > 0

and any polynomials

p_{i} i n m a t h b b Q [t]

,

i = 1, l d o t s, e l l

, which satisfy

p_{i} (m a t h b b Z) s u b s e t m a t h b b Z

and

p_{i} (0) = 0

for all

i i n 1, l d o t s, e l l

, there exists

such that the set

{nin R:overline{d}( Ecap (E-p_1(n))capldotscap(E-p_ell(n)))>�eta}

has positive lower density. Ramsey-theoretical applications naturally lead to problems in symbolic dynamics, which involve rationally almost periodic sequences. We prove that if