We discuss some of our work on averages along polynomial sequences in nilpotent groups of step 2. Our main results include boundedness of associated maximal functions and singular integrals operators, an almost everywhere pointwise convergence theorem for ergodic averages along polynomial sequences, and a nilpotent Waring theorem. Our proofs are based on analytical tools, such as a nilpotent Weyl inequality, and on complex almost-orthogonality arguments that are designed to replace Fourier transform tools, which are not available in the non-commutative nilpotent setting. In particular, we present what we call a "nilpotent circle method" that allows us to adapt some of the ideas of the classical circle method to the setting of nilpotent groups.

We study three classes of local homomorphisms and their behavior with respect to the ascent and descent of the \emph{complete intersection} property. Crucially, they fall in between the already studied classes of complete intersection and quasi-complete intersection homomorphisms, while also repairing some of the issues these presented.

In this paper we establish uniform oscillation estimates on $L^p(X)$ with $p\in(1,\infty)$ for the polynomial ergodic averages. This result contributes to a certain problem about uniform oscillation bounds for ergodic averages formulated by Rosenblatt and Wierdl in the early 1990's. We also give a slightly different proof of the uniform oscillation inequality of Jones, Kaufman, Rosenblatt and Wierdl for bounded martingales. Finally, we show that oscillations, in contrast to jump inequalities, cannot be seen as an endpoint for $r$-variation inequalities.