On a multi-parameter variant of the Bellow-Furstenberg problem

We prove convergence in norm and pointwise almost everywhere on Lp, p∈(1,∞), for certain multi-parameter polynomial ergodic averages by establishing the corresponding multi-parameter maximal and oscillation inequalities. Our result, in particular, gives an affirmative answer to a multi-parameter variant of the Bellow-Furstenberg problem. This paper is also the first systematic treatment of multi-parameter oscillation semi-norms which allows an efficient handling of multi-parameter pointwise convergence problems with arithmetic features. The methods of proof of our main result develop estimates for multi-parameter exponential sums, as well as introduce new ideas from the so-called multi-parameter circle method in the context of the geometry of backwards Newton diagrams that are dictated by the shape of the polynomials defining our ergodic averages.