Sum-free sets in abelian groups

An IP system is a functionn taking finite subsets ofN to a commutative, additive group Ω satisfyingn(α∪β)=n(α)+n(β) whenever α∩β=ø. In an extension of their Szemerédi theorem for finitely many commuting measure preserving transformations, Furstenberg and Katznelson showed that ifS _i ,1≤i≤k, are IP systems into a commutative (possibly infinitely generated) group Ω of measure preserving transformations of a probability space (X, B, μ, andA∈B with μ(A)>0, then for some ø≠α one has μ(? _i=1 ^k S _i({α})A>0). We extend this to so-called FVIP systems, which are polynomial analogs of IP systems, thereby generalizing as well joint work by the author and V. Bergelson concerning special FVIP systems of the formS(α)=T(p(n(α))), wherep:Z ^t →Z ^d is a polynomial vanishing at zero,T is a measure preservingZ ^d action andn is an IP system intoZ ^t . The primary novelty here is potential infinite generation of the underlying group action, however there are new applications inZ ^d as well, for example multiple recurrence along a wide class ofgeneralized polynomials (very roughly, functions built out of regular polynomials by iterated use of the greatest integer function).