One may often decompose the domain of a topologically transitive map into finitely many regular closed pieces with nowhere dense overlap in such a way that these pieces map into one another in a periodic fashion. We call decompositions of this kind regular periodic decompositions and refer to the number of pieces as the length of the decomposition. If $f$ is topologically transitive but $f^{n}$ is not, then $f$ has a regular periodic decomposition of some length dividing $n$. Although a decomposition of a given length is unique, a map may have many decompositions of different lengths. The set of lengths of decompositions of a given map is an ideal in the lattice of natural numbers ordered by divisibility, which we call the decomposition ideal of $f$. Every ideal in this lattice arises as a decomposition ideal of some map. Decomposition ideals of Cartesian products of transitive maps are discussed and used to develop various examples. Results are obtained concerning the implications of local connectedness for decompositions. We conclude with a comprehensive analysis of the possible decomposition ideals for maps on 1-manifolds.

Assuming that the underlying probability space is non-atomic, we prove that products of random matrices (linear cocycles) with simple Lyapunov spectrum form an $L^p$-dense set ($1 \leq p < \infty$) in the space of all cocycles satisfying the integrability conditions of the multiplicative ergodic theorem. However, the linear cocycles with one-point spectrum are also $L^p$-dense. Further, in any $L^\infty$-neighborhood of an orthogonal cocycle there is a diagonalizable cocycle.

For products of independent identically distributed random matrices (with distribution $\mu$), simplicity of the Lyapunov spectrum holds on a set of $\mu$'s which is open and dense in both the topology of total variation and the topology of weak convergence, hence is generic in both topologies. For products of matrices which form a Markov chain, the spectrum is simple on a set of transition functions dense in the topology of weak convergence.

The notion of dynamical entropy for actions of a countable free abelian group $G$ by automorphisms of $C^*$-algebras is studied. These results are applied to Bogoliubov actions of $G$ on the CAR-algebra. It is shown that the dynamical entropy of Bogoliubov actions is computed by a formula analogous to that found by Størmer and Voiculescu in the case $G={\bf Z}$, and also it is proved that the part of the action corresponding to a singular spectrum gives zero contribution to the entropy. The case of an infinite number of generators has some essential differences and requires new arguments.

Let $f : V \to U$ be a (generalized) polynomial-like map. Suppose that harmonic measure $\omega= \omega(\cdot,\infty)$ on the Julia set $J_{f}$ is equal to the measure of maximal entropy $m$ for $f : J_{f} \hookleftarrow$. Then the dynamics $(f,V,U)$ is called maximal. We are going to give a criterion for the dynamics to be conformally equivalent to a maximal one, that is to be conformally maximal. In the second part of this paper we construct an invariant ‘harmonic’ measure $\mu$ such that ${d\mu}/{d\omega}$ is Hölder for certain dynamics. This allows us to prove in this class of dynamical systems that $\omega\approx m$ is necessary and sufficient for $(f,V,U)$ to be conformally maximal. In the particular case when $f$ is expanding and $J_{f}$ is a circle, our result becomes a theorem of Shub and Sullivan; so throughout the paper we are dealing with an analog of a theorem of Shub and Sullivan on ‘wild’ (e.g. totally disconnected) $J_{f}$ and for certain non-expanding $f$. We also construct (under certain assumptions) invariant harmonic measure on $J_{f}$. In this respect, our work stems from one of the works of Carleson.

We show that, providing a metric space $X$ has a boundary that is in some sense similar to the boundary of hyperbolic space, the iterates of a contraction $f:X\to X$ converge locally uniformly to a point in, or on the boundary of, $X$. This generalises the Denjoy–Wolff theorem for analytic self-maps of the unit disc in the complex plane, and also shows that if $D$ is a bounded strictly convex subdomain of ${\Bbb R}^n$, then any contraction of $D$ with respect to the Hilbert metric of $D$ converges to a point in the closure of $D$.

A rational map $T$ of degree not less than two is known to preserve a measure, called the conformal measure, equivalent to the Hausdorff measure of the same dimension as its Julia set $J$ and supported there, with respect to which it is ergodic and even exact. As a consequence of Birkhoff's pointwise ergodic theorem almost every $z$ in $J$ with respect to the conformal measure has an orbit that is asymptotically distributed on $J$ with respect to this measure. As a counterpoint to this, the following result is established in this paper. Let $\Omega(z)=\Omega_{T}(z)$ denote the closure of the set $\{T^{n}(z):n=1,2,\ldots\}$. For any expanding rational map $T$ of degree at least two we set \[ S(z_{0})=\{z\in J:z_{0}\not\in \Omega_{T}(z)\}. \] We show that for all $z_{0}$ the Hausdorff dimensions of $S(z)$ and $J$ are equal.

Given a ${\cal C}^{1+\gamma}$ hyperbolic Cantor set $C$, we study the sequence $C_{n,x}$ of Cantor subsets which nest down toward a point $x$ in $C$. We show that $C_{n,x}$ is asymptotically equal to an ergodic Cantor set valued process. The values of this process, called limit sets, are indexed by a Hölder continuous set-valued function defined on Sullivan's dual Cantor set. We show the limit sets are themselves ${\cal C}^{k+\gamma},{\cal C}^\infty$ or ${\cal C}^\omega$ hyperbolic Cantor sets, with the highest degree of smoothness which occurs in the ${\cal C}^{1+\gamma}$ conjugacy class of $C$. The proof of this leads to the following rigidity theorem: if two ${\cal C}^{k+\gamma},{\cal C}^\infty$ or ${\cal C}^\omega$ hyperbolic Cantor sets are ${\cal C}^1$ conjugate, then the conjugacy (with a different extension) is in fact already ${\cal C}^{k+\gamma},{\cal C}^\infty$ or ${\cal C}^\omega$. Within one ${\cal C}^{1+\gamma}$ conjugacy class, each smoothness class is a Banach manifold, which is acted on by the semigroup given by rescaling subintervals. Smoothness classes nest down, and contained in the intersection of them all is a compact set which is the attractor for the semigroup: the collection of limit sets. Convergence is exponentially fast, in the ${\cal C}^1$ norm.

The variational principle states that the topological entropy of a topological dynamical system is equal to the sup of the entropies of invariant measures. It is proved that for any finite open cover there is an invariant measure such that the topological entropy of this cover is less than or equal to the entropies of all finer partitions. One consequence of this result is that for any dynamical system with positive topological entropy there exists an invariant measure whose set of entropy pairs is equal to the set of topological entropy pairs.

We completely classify one-sided Markov chains up to measure-theoretic isomorphism. The classification is effective and computable.

Central Cantor sets form a class of symmetric Cantor sets of the real line. Here we give a complete characterization of the $C^{k + \alpha}$ regularity of these Cantor sets. We also give a classification of central Cantor sets up to global and local diffeomorphisms. Examples of central Cantor sets with special dynamical and measure-theoretical properties are also provided. Finally, we calculate the fractal dimensions of an arbitrary central Cantor set.

Using a very simple blow-up, we show how to extend the stable and pseudo-stable manifold theorems so as to get (a Banach version of) Sternberg's local conjugacy results for hyperbolic diffeomorphisms [9, 10].

We investigate the dynamics of unimodal maps $f$ of the interval restricted to the omega limit set $X$ of the critical point for cases where $X$ is a Cantor set. In particular, many cases where $X$ is a measure attractor of $f$ are included. We give two classes of examples of such maps, both generalizing unimodal Fibonacci maps [LM, BKNS]. In all cases $f_{|X}$ is a continuous factor of a generalized odometer (an adding machine-like dynamical system), and at the same time $f_{|X}$ factors onto an irrational circle rotation. In some of the examples we obtain irrational rotations on more complicated groups as factors.

In the classical iteration theory we say that for a given polynomial $f$ a point $z_0\in\C$ belongs to the Julia set if the sequence of iterates $(f^n)$ is not normal in any neighbourhood of $z_0$. In this paper, we look at the set of non-normality of $(F_n)$, $F_n:=f_n\circ\cdots\circ f_1$, where $(f_n)$ is a given sequence of polynomials of degree at least two. If we can find a hyperbolic domain $M$ which is invariant under all $f_n$, $n\in\N$, $\infty\in M$ and $F_n\to\infty\ (n\to\infty)$ locally uniformly in $M$, then we ask whether these sets of non-normality, which we will also call Julia sets, have properties which we know from the classical case. We show that the Julia set is self-similar. Furthermore, the Julia set is perfect or finite. The finite case may actually occur. We will also give some sufficient conditions for the Julia set being perfect. In the last section we give some examples of sequences of polynomials (where no domain $M$ exists) which have a pathological behaviour in contrast to the classical case.

Let $M$ be a compact $C^{\infty}$ Riemannian manifold. Given $p$ and $q$ in $M$ and $T>0$, define $n_{T}(p,q)$ as the number of geodesic segments joining $p$ and $q$ with length $\leq T$. Mañé showed in [7] that \[ \lim_{T\rightarrow \infty}\frac{1}{T}\log \int_{M\times M}n_{T}(p,q)\,dp\,dq = h_{\rm top}, \] where $h_{\rm top}$ denotes the topological entropy of the geodesic flow of $M$.

In this paper we exhibit an open set of metrics on the two-sphere for which \[ \limsup_{T\rightarrow\infty}\frac{1}{T}\log n_{T}(p,q)< h_{\rm top}, \] for a positive measure set of $(p,q)\in M\times M$. This answers in the negative questions raised by Mañé in [7].

We investigate hypercyclic and chaotic behavior of linear strongly continuous semigroups. We give necessary and sufficient conditions on the semigroup to be hypercyclic, and sufficient conditions on the spectrum of an operator to generate a hypercyclic semigroup. A variety of examples is provided.

We propose a new classification of periodic orbits of interval maps via over-rotation pairs. We prove a theorem for them similar to the Sharkovskii theorem.

We introduce entropy convergence rates as isomorphism invariants for measure-preserving systems and prove several general facts concerning these rates for aperiodic systems, completely ergodic systems and rank-one systems. We will for example show that for any completely ergodic system $(X,T)$ and any non-trivial partition $\alpha$ of $X$ into two sets we have $\limsup_{n\rightarrow\infty}H(\alpha_0^{n-1})/g(\log_2n)=\infty$, whenever $g$ is a positive increasing function on $(0,\infty)$ such that $g(x)/x^2$ is integrable.

A graphic flow is a totally minimal flow such that the only minimal subsets of the product flow are the graphs of the powers of the defining homeomorphism [2]. We consider flows of the form $(X^{k},T^{L})$, where $(X,T)$ is graphic, $k$ is a positive integer, and $L:\{1,\ldots,k\}\to {\Bbb Z}\setminus \{0\}$. It is shown that the isomorphism classes of these flows are determined by the cardinality of $L^{-1}(p)$.

In this paper we indicate how techniques developed by Zimmer [8] regarding certain smooth actions of discrete groups on compact manifolds can be extended to actions of discrete groups and semisimple Lie groups on compact fiber bundles. The actions that we consider preserve a smooth volume density on the total space of the bundle that defines a smooth field of volume densities on the fibers. When the standard fiber has ‘low’ dimension or the action preserves certain geometric structures on the fibers, Zimmer's techniques can show that the action must be measurably conjugate to a topologically relatively isometric action.

We extend the theory of rotation vectors to homeomorphisms of the two-dimensional torus that are homotopic to a Dehn twist. We define a one-dimensional rotation number and recreate the theory of the homotopic case to the identity case. We prove that if such a map is area preserving and has mean rotation number zero, then it must have a fixed point. We prove that the rotation set is a compact interval, and that if the rotation interval contains two distinct numbers, then for any rational number in the rotation set there exists a periodic point with that rotation number. Finally, we prove that any interval with rational endpoints can be realized as the rotation set of a map homotopic to a Dehn twist.