Model Theory Methods for Topological Groups

Abstract

This thesis gathers different works approaching subjects of topological dynamics by means of logic and descriptive set theory, and conversely. The first part is devoted to the study of Roelcke precompact Polish groups, which are the same as the automorphism groups of $\aleph_0$-categorical structures. They form a rich family of examples of infinite-dimensional topological groups, including several interesting permutation groups, isometry groups and homeomorphism groups of distinguished mathematical objects. Building on previous work of Ben Yaacov and Tsankov, we develop a model-theoretic translation of several dynamical aspects of these groups. Then we use this translation to obtain a precise understanding, in this case, of the dynamical hierarchy studied by Glasner and Megrelishvili. Later, with I. Ben Yaacov and T. Tsankov, we provide a model-theoretic description of the Hilbert-compactification of oligomorphic groups, and we give a characterization of Eberlein oligomorphic groups. We also study automorphism groups of randomized structures, as well the separable models of the theory of beautiful pairs of randomizations. The second part, with J. Melleray, studies full groups of minimal homeomorphisms of the Cantor space and their invariant measures. We show that full groups of minimal homeomorphisms do not admit a Polish group topology, and are moreover non-Borel subsets of the homeomorphism group of the Cantor space. We then study the closures of full groups by means of Fraisse theory. Finally, we give a characterization of the sets of invariant measures of minimal homeomorphisms of the Cantor space.