Nil–Bohr sets of integers

Abstract

AbstractWe study relations between subsets of integers that are large, where large can be interpreted in terms of size (such as a set of positive upper density or a set with bounded gaps) or in terms of additive structure (such as a Bohr set). Bohr sets are fundamentally abelian in nature and are linked to Fourier analysis. Recently it has become apparent that a higher order, non-abelian, Fourier analysis plays a role both in additive combinatorics and in ergodic theory. Here we introduce a higher-order version of Bohr sets and give various properties of these objects, generalizing results of Bergelson, Furstenberg, and Weiss.