Classification problems occur in all areas of mathematics. Descriptive set theory provides methods to assign complexity to such problems. Using a technique developed by Hjorth, Kechris and Sofronidis proved, for example, that the problem of classifying all unitary operators $\mathcal{U}(\mathcal{H})$ of an infinite dimensional Hilbert space up to unitary equivalence $\simeq_U$ is strictly more difficult than classifying graph structures with domain $\mathbb{N}$ up to isomorphism.

 
We present a game--theoretic approach to anti--classification results for orbit equivalence relations and use this development to reorganize conceptually the proof of Hjorth's turbulence theorem.  We also introduce a dynamical criterion for showing that an orbit equivalence relation is not Borel reducible to the orbit equivalence relation induced by a CLI group action; that is, a group which admits a complete left invariant metric (recall that, by a result of Hjorth and Solecki, solvable groups are CLI). We deduce that $\simeq_U$ is not classifiable by CLI group actions.

This is a joint work with Martino Lupini.