arXiv:2608.11382v1

Visible Measures along Ω(n)Ω(n) and Distribution of Horocycle Orbits

Adam Kanigowski, Kaitlyn Loyd

math.DSmath.NT37A4437A30

Abstract

Let Ω(n)Ω(n) denote the number of prime factors of nn, counted with multiplicities. We study the set AccΩ(x)Acc^Ω(x) of weak-^* limits of the sequence 1NnNδTΩ(n)x\frac{1}{N}\sum_{n\leq N}δ_{T^{Ω(n)}x} in σσ-compact dynamical systems (X,T) (X,T), demonstrating that if xXx \in X is quasi-generic for an ergodic measure μμ, then μAccΩ(x)μ\in Acc^Ω(x). This extends a result of Bergelson and Richter, who studied the problem in the setting of uniquely ergodic systems. We give a more precise description of the set AccΩ(x)Acc^Ω(x) in the case of the horocycle flow on non-compact quotients of SL(2,R)SL(2,\mathbb{R}). We show that for every non-periodic xXx\in X, in addition to Haar measure, there exists sequences (sn),(cn)R(s_n), (c_n) \subseteq \mathbb{R} such that 12πer22νsn2log1+cnridrAccΩ(x), \frac{1}{\sqrt{2π}}\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}e^{-\frac{r^2}{2}}ν^{i}_{s_n-2\log|1+c_nr|} dr\in Acc^Ω(x), where {νsi}ik\{ ν^{i}_{s} \}_{i \leq k} denotes the one parameter family of periodic measures in each of the kk inequivalent cusps. Depending on Diophantine properties of the non-periodic point xx, we show that AccΩ(x)Acc^Ω(x) contains a full two parameter family of such periodic measures, as well as the Dirac measure at each cusp. In particular, these results yield almost-everywhere divergence of pointwise averages along Ω(n)Ω(n) for the non-compact horocycle flow.

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Not a correctness certificate. A “Correct” result may include yellow typos or minor formal corrections that do not affect substantive soundness. It means this audit found no unresolved substantive error under the stated criteria; it does not replace expert scrutiny or formal verification.

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Detailed mathematical audit

Generated August 18, 2026
01Statements5 reported findingsCorrect

The ergodic-visible-measure theorem, the symbolic counterexample, the classification and realization results for horocycle Ω\Omega-limits, the exclusion result for bounded geodesic orbits, and the pointwise-divergence corollary are correct. Several printed proofs require substantive repairs, recorded in Part 2, but the repairs can be verified without changing any central conclusion. The use of cusp Dirac masses also requires the explicitly intended compactified ambient space.

Theorem 1.1Correct

Every ergodic standard visible measure remains visible along Ω(n)\Omega(n)

Page 2 · Theorem 1.1; pages 7–10 · proof · arXiv:2608.11382v1

The theorem remains valid for the stated σ\sigma-compact metric spaces, although the printed Cc(X)C_c(X) argument is not valid at that generality. A verified repair uses that a σ\sigma-compact metric space is separable, fixes a countable weak-convergence-determining family of bounded continuous functions, and applies the same Egorov and Gaussian-block construction to its first mm members. Quasi-genericity gives the required lower bound for the open good set directly by Portmanteau. To obtain tightness, at stage mm include continuous cutoffs that equal one on compact sets carrying almost all of μ\mu and vanish outside shrinking neighborhoods of those sets. Each Ω\Omega-empirical measure has finite support; the union of its high-mass support portions in neighborhoods of radius tending to zero has compact closure. The resulting diagonal sequence is tight and converges on the determining family, hence converges weakly to μ\mu.

Full paper, version 1
Proposition 1.2Correct

Ergodicity cannot be removed

Page 2 · Proposition 1.2; pages 10–11 · symbolic construction · arXiv:2608.11382v1

The three-symbol block construction is generic for 13(δ0+δ1+δ2)\frac13(\delta_{\overline 0}+\delta_{\overline 1}+\delta_{\overline 2}): a partial terminal block has length O(Ni+12/3)=o(Ni)O(N_{i+1}^{2/3})=o(N_i), so the endpoint calculation extends to every averaging time. The Hardy–Ramanujan window around loglogN\log\log N has length O((loglogN)1/2+1/100)O((\log\log N)^{1/2+1/100}) and meets at most two symbol blocks. Thus, outside a set of integers of density tending to zero, at least one of the three zero-coordinate cylinder functions has average zero. All three therefore cannot converge to 1/31/3, and the non-ergodic measure is not in AccΩ(x)\operatorname{Acc}_\Omega(x).

Hardy–Ramanujan concentration theorem as used in the paper
Theorems 1.3 and 1.6Correct

Horocycle accumulation measures and the bounded-geodesic exclusion

Pages 2–3 · Theorems 1.3 and 1.6; Sections 5–6 · arXiv:2608.11382v1

The local Erdős estimate converts Ω\Omega-averages into Gaussian-weighted horocycle windows. Quantitative horocycle equidistribution gives the dichotomy between total cusp escape and approximation by a periodic horocycle of period bounded above and below. The matrix factorization in Lemma 5.5 and the second-derivative estimate in Lemma 5.7 then turn the latter case into exactly 12πer2/2νs02log1+c0(rz0)idr.\frac1{\sqrt{2\pi}}\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}e^{-r^2/2}\nu^i_{s_0-2\log|1+c_0(r-z_0)|}\,dr. Recurrence of the positive geodesic orbit and long-horocycle equidistribution give the asserted nontrivial family and Haar measure. If the full geodesic orbit is bounded, quantitative non-divergence rules out cusp mass and the Diophantine lower bound in Lemma 5.3 keeps the scaled shear parameter away from zero, ruling out a single periodic measure. The formula and constant bookkeeping in the lower-inclusion proof need the verified repairs listed in Part 2, but the repaired chain establishes the printed conclusions.

Streck, closed-horocycle approximation lemma
Theorem 1.7 and Corollary 1.5Correct

Residual realization and almost-everywhere pointwise divergence

Pages 3 and 25–29 · Theorem 1.7, Propositions 7.1–7.3, and proof of Corollary 1.5 · arXiv:2608.11382v1

After the repairs in Part 2, the Baire construction realizes every cusp mass and a dense parameter set of the Gaussian mixtures; continuity in the parameters supplies the full upper-bound family. For pointwise divergence, the recurrence compactum and the constant in Theorem 1.3 can be chosen uniformly off a null set. The parameters sxs_x and cxc_x then range over a fixed compact subset. A cusp truncation KRK_R may be chosen so that each mixture assigns at least a constant multiple of eRe^{-R} to XKRX\setminus K_R, while Haar measure assigns at most a constant multiple of e2Re^{-2R} there. A compactly supported continuous cutoff of KRK_R therefore has different Haar and mixture integrals for every such xx, giving two distinct subsequential limits almost everywhere.

Sarnak, equidistribution of long periodic horocycles
Horocycle notationTypo

The accumulation set must be taken in the cusp compactification

Pages 1–3 · definitions of AccΩ(x)\operatorname{Acc}_\Omega(x) and Theorems 1.3, 1.6–1.7; page 19 · start of Section 6.1 · arXiv:2608.11382v1

The general introduction defines AccΩ(x)\operatorname{Acc}_\Omega(x) using probability measures on XX, but Theorems 1.3 and 1.7 include the cusp masses νi\nu^i_\infty, which live only on the kk-point compactification XX_\infty. Section 6.1 explicitly says that its limit κ\kappa is a measure on XX_\infty, so the intended correction is unique: in the horocycle results, define AccΩ(x)\operatorname{Acc}_\Omega(x) as the weak-* accumulation set in M(X)\mathcal M(X_\infty). This corrects the ambient-space notation and leaves every argument and conclusion unchanged.

02Proofs8 reported findingsContains incorrect or incomplete proofs

The main mechanisms are mathematically sound, but four printed proof segments are not valid as written: the general-space proof of Theorem 1.1 assumes local compactness that was not stated; the uniform constant in Proposition 6.3 is not obtained from the displayed estimate; the residual cusp construction uses an invalid bounded-distance inference and an unnecessarily over-strong auxiliary lemma; and the pointwise-divergence proof reverses a cusp truncation. Each central conclusion nevertheless has a verified repair. Several additional sign and exponent errors are uniquely determined typographical corrections.

Proof of Theorem 1.1Incorrect as written · verified repair

The Cc(X)C_c(X) reduction silently assumes local compactness

Pages 7–9 · first reductions and Equation (11) · arXiv:2608.11382v1

For a merely σ\sigma-compact metric space, it is false that one can choose compact metric balls exhausting almost all mass, and an open set need not admit compactly supported continuous approximants from below. For example, X=QX=\mathbb Q with its usual metric is σ\sigma-compact, has no compact ball of positive radius, and every nonzero continuous function has noncompact support. Thus the assertions preceding (7) and (11) do not follow from the hypotheses. The repair described in Part 1 is verified: work with bounded continuous determining functions, use Portmanteau for the open good set, and enforce tightness through shrinking neighborhoods of compact high-mass sets and the finite supports of the empirical measures. No local compactness assumption is then needed.

Proof of Equation (2) in Theorem 1.3Incomplete as written · verified repair

The displayed bound does not produce a constant uniform in the target periodic orbit

Pages 22–24 · Proposition 6.3 and the proof of Equation (2) · arXiv:2608.11382v1

Theorem 1.3 requires one multiplicative constant DD for all cusps and all centers s0s_0. Proposition 6.3 states D=DΓ,xD=D_{\Gamma,x}, but its displayed application of Lemma 5.1 gives an error CC5rˉαC'C^5\bar r^{-\alpha}, where C=CpC=C_p depends on the chosen periodic point p=gs0(ei)p=g_{s_0}(e_i). Taken literally, choosing DD from this inequality makes it depend on pp. In the coordinates used immediately above (22), however, glogTvs(p)g_{\log T}v_s(p) lies in the fixed ball B(e,1)B(e,1) and the three widths defining G~\widetilde G are fixed positive constants. Lemma 5.1 therefore supplies a bound with a constant depending only on Γ\Gamma, not on CpC_p; the extra factor C5C^5 can be removed. Choosing DD from this uniform estimate verifies Proposition 6.3 with D=DΓ,xD=D_{\Gamma,x}, and the final ratio of the two admissible scaled-shear bounds is then 8D8D, as required.

Proof of Proposition 7.1Incorrect as written · verified repair

The claimed bounded perturbation is not bounded when rs|rs| approaches one

Pages 25–26 · proof of Proposition 7.3 after the Baire construction · arXiv:2608.11382v1

The proof uses hrvshr=(1+rsr2ss1rs)h_rv_sh_{-r}=\begin{pmatrix}1+rs&-r^2s\\s&1-rs\end{pmatrix} and concludes from rs1|rs|\leq1 that hTi+rxh_{T_i+r}x stays a uniformly bounded distance from the shrinking periodic orbit. This inference is false at the displayed endpoint: the diagonal factor in the standard triangular decomposition is unbounded as 1+rs1+rs or 1rs1-rs tends to zero. Apply Proposition 7.3 with the function w/2w/2 instead. It still satisfies t(w(t)/2)t(w(t)/2)\to\infty, and its conclusion supplies a window of radius 2w(Ti)12w(T_i)^{-1}; restricting to the required radius w(Ti)1w(T_i)^{-1} gives rs1/2|rs|\leq1/2. The triangular factors are then uniformly bounded, so the entire required window escapes every compact set.

Lemma 7.4 in the residual cusp constructionIncomplete as written · verified repair

Sarnak's theorem does not justify the printed uniform period quantifier

Pages 25–27 · Lemma 7.4 and its use in Proposition 7.3 · arXiv:2608.11382v1

Lemma 7.4 is stated uniformly for every periodic point of period at least ϵ\epsilon. The proof produces on the renormalized closed horocycle an interval of length greater than 5kT5k_T, while that orbit has period asymptotic to kTper(p)k_T\operatorname{per}(p). Sarnak's equidistribution of the complete closed-orbit measure does not imply that this particular interval meets BB when per(p)\operatorname{per}(p) is unbounded. The Baire proof needs only a chosen sequence pp_\ell with periods tending to zero. Choose it with per(p)<1\operatorname{per}(p_\ell)<1 for every \ell and replace Lemma 7.4 by the corresponding fixed-pp statement. Then the interval of length 5kT5k_T covers the entire renormalized closed orbit for large TT; Sarnak's theorem applies directly, and every density assertion used in Proposition 7.3 follows.

Proof of Corollary 1.5Incorrect as written · verified repair

The final cusp-mass comparison uses the complement of the set that was defined

Pages 28–29 · final paragraph of the proof of Corollary 1.5 · arXiv:2608.11382v1

The paper defines B={y:dX(y,e)2Cϵ+C2}B=\{y:d_X(y,e)\leq2C_\epsilon+C_2\} but then asserts μX(B)e2Cϵ\mu_X(B)\asymp e^{-2C_\epsilon} and identifies the mixture's BB-mass with the Gaussian integral over the small interval around r=1/cxr=-1/c_x. A growing metric ball has Haar mass tending to one; both assertions concern its cusp complement. Let KRK_R be a smooth compact cusp truncation. Standard cusp coordinates give μX(XKR)e2R\mu_X(X\setminus K_R)\ll e^{-2R}. For Ix=cx1+[eR/cx,eR/cx],I_x=-c_x^{-1}+[-e^{-R}/c_x,e^{-R}/c_x], the Gaussian mass is uniformly eR\gg e^{-R} because cxc_x remains in a fixed compact interval, and for rIxr\in I_x the periodic orbit νsx2log1+cxri\nu^i_{s_x-2\log|1+c_xr|} lies beyond KRK_R once RR is large. Hence the mixture has outside mass eR\gg e^{-R}, strictly more than Haar. A continuous compactly supported cutoff equal to one on a slightly smaller truncation then separates the two measures uniformly, proving the corollary.

Proof of Equation (2)Typo

Several exponents and signs are transcription errors

Pages 23–24 · Proposition 6.3 and Equations (21)–(23) · arXiv:2608.11382v1

Four corrections are mechanically forced by the adjacent formulas. First, after applying Lemma 5.2, every displayed C1/2T1/2C^{1/2}T_\ell^{-1/2} bound in the inclusion in VT(p)V_T(p) and in the later range for cc must read C3/2T1/2C^{3/2}T_\ell^{-1/2}. Second, the definition of GG must use eb/21<1/10|e^{b/2}-1|<1/10, not b/21<1/10|b/2-1|<1/10, exactly as in the preceding inclusion. Third, Equation (23) requires Gt(k)=ek2/(2t)G_{t_\ell}(k)=e^{-k^2/(2t_\ell)}, not a positive exponent. Fourth, the three Riemann-sum lines that switch 2log1+acuj-2\log|1+ac u_j| to +2log1+acuj+2\log|1+ac u_j| and then to +log1+cr+\log|1+c'r| must retain 2log-2\log throughout. The preceding shearing formula and the final displayed limit already contain these corrected signs, so no estimate or conclusion changes.

Proof of Proposition 7.2Typo

The parameter conversion has two sign mismatches

Pages 25 and 28 · Proposition 7.2 and its proof · arXiv:2608.11382v1

Proposition 7.2 must display νs2log1+c(rz)i\nu^i_{s-2\log|1+c(r-z)|}, with a minus sign, to match Theorem 1.7 and Lemma 5.9. In its proof, put A=1czA=1-cz, s=s2logAs'=s-2\log|A|, and c=c/Ac'=c/A; the paper instead omits the absolute value in ss' and inserts one in the denominator of cc'. The corrected definitions give the exact identity s2log1+cr=s2log1+c(rz)s'-2\log|1+c'r|=s-2\log|1+c(r-z)| for both signs of AA. This identity uniquely determines the corrections and completes the already printed Baire argument.

Local proof notationTypo

Three harmless symbols in Sections 5–6 need correction

Pages 14, 16, and 21–22 · Lemmas 5.4, 5.7, and proof of Theorem 1.6 · arXiv:2608.11382v1

In Lemma 5.4, (a+a1)S|(a+a^{-1})S| must be (aa1)S|(a-a^{-1})S|, as follows from the polynomial P(t)=ct2+(aa1)tP(t)=-ct^2+(a-a^{-1})t. In Lemma 5.7, the second-derivative bounds must use |\ell| (or apply the estimate to f-f when <0\ell<0). In the last paragraph of the proof of Theorem 1.6, the conclusion must be cd>0|c''|\geq d>0, not cdc''\geq d, because the shear may be negative. Each corrected form is already forced by the preceding line and leaves the argument unchanged.

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Paper
arXiv:2608.11382v1
Authors listed
Adam Kanigowski, Kaitlyn Loyd
Audit date
August 18, 2026
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