Turbulence and Araki-Woods factors

Abstract

Using Baire category techniques we prove that Araki-Woods factors are not classifiable by countable structures. As a result, we obtain a far reaching strengthening as well as a new proof of the well-known theorem of Woods that the isomorphism problem for ITPFI factors is not smooth. We derive as a consequence that the odometer actions of Z that preserve the measure class of a finite non-atomic product measure are not classifiable up to orbit equivalence by countable structures.

16 pages