Multiple recurrence for non-commuting transformations along rationally independent polynomials

Abstract: We prove a multiple recurrence result for arbitrary measure-preserving transformations along polynomials in two variables of the form $m+p_i(n)$, with rationally independent $p_i$'s with zero constant term. This is in contrast to the single variable case, in which even double recurrence fails unless the transformations generate a virtually nilpotent group. The proof involves reduction to nilfactors and an equidistribution result on nilmanifolds.