A note on big Ramsey degrees

Generalizing and simplifying recent work of Dobrinen, we show that if $\mathcal{L}$ is a finite binary relational language and $\mathcal{F}$ is a finite set of finite irreducible $\mathcal{L}$-structures, then the class $\mathcal{K} = \mathrm{Forb}(\mathcal{F})$ has finite big Ramsey degrees.Comment: A more complete introduction and an appendix on forcing have been added. The proof of Theorem 3.1 has been tweaked to more closely follow the presentation of the appendi

A note on minimal models for pmp actions

Given a countable group $G$, we say that a metrizable flow $Y$ is model-universal if by considering the various invariant measures on $Y$, we can recover every free measure-preserving $G$-system up to isomorphism. Weiss has constructed a minimal model-universal flow. In this note, we provide a new, streamlined construction, allowing us to show that a minimal model-universal flow is far from unique

Maximally highly proximal flows

For $G$ a Polish group, we consider $G$-flows which either contain a comeager orbit or have all orbits meager. We single out a class of flows, the maximally highly proximal (MHP) flows, for which this analysis is particularly nice. In the former case, we provide a complete structure theorem for flows containing comeager orbits, generalizing theorems of Melleray-Nguyen Van Th\'e-Tsankov and Ben Yaacov-Melleray-Tsankov. In the latter, we show that any minimal MHP flow with all orbits meager has a metrizable factor with all orbits meager, thus "reflecting" complicated dynamical behavior to metrizable flows. We then apply this to obtain a structure theorem for Polish groups whose universal minimal flow is distal.Comment: Formerly titled "Polish group actions with meager orbits.

Topological dynamics beyond Polish groups

When $G$ is a Polish group, metrizability of the universal minimal flow has been shown to be a robust dividing line in the complexity of the topological dynamics of $G$. We introduce a class of groups, the CAP groups, which provides a neat generalization of this dividing line to all topological groups. We prove a number of characterizations of this class, having very different flavors, and use these to prove that the class of CAP groups enjoys a number of nice closure properties. As a concrete application, we compute the universal minimal flow of the homeomorphism groups of several scattered topological spaces, building on recent work of Gheysens

Universal minimal flows of homeomorphism groups of high-dimensional manifolds are not metrizable

Answering a question of Uspenskij, we prove that if $X$ is a closed manifold of dimension $2$ or higher or the Hilbert cube, then the universal minimal flow of $\mathrm{Homeo}(X)$ is not metrizable. In dimension $3$ or higher, we also show that the minimal $\mathrm{Homeo}(X)$-flow consisting of all maximal, connected chains in $X$ has meager orbits.Comment: revised version, a new figure has been adde

Bernoulli disjointness

Generalizing a result of Furstenberg, we show that for every infinite discrete group $G$, the Bernoulli flow $2^G$ is disjoint from every minimal $G$-flow. From this, we deduce that the algebra generated by the minimal functions $\mathfrak{A}(G)$ is a proper subalgebra of $\ell^\infty(G)$ and that the enveloping semigroup of the universal minimal flow $M(G)$ is a proper quotient of the universal enveloping semigroup $\beta G$. When $G$ is countable, we also prove that for any metrizable, minimal $G$-flow, there exists a free, minimal flow disjoint from it and that there exist continuum many mutually disjoint minimal, free, metrizable $G$-flows. Finally, improving a result of Frisch, Tamuz, and Vahidi Ferdowsi and answering a question of theirs, we show that if $G$ is a countable icc group, then it admits a free, minimal, proximal flow.Comment: 28 pages; some details added, minor correction