For every $m\in \mathbb {N}$ , we establish the equidistribution of the sequence of the averaged pullbacks of a Dirac measure at any given value in $\mathbb {C}\setminus \{0\}$ under the $m$ th order derivatives of the iterates of a polynomials $f\in \mathbb {C}[z]$ of degree $d>1$ towards the harmonic measure of the filled-in Julia set of f with pole at $\infty $ . We also establish non-archimedean and arithmetic counterparts using the potential theory on the Berkovich projective line and the adelic equidistribution theory over a number field k for a sequence of effective divisors on $\mathbb {P}^1(\overline {k})$ having small diagonals and small heights. We show a similar result on the equidistribution of the analytic sets where the derivative of each iterate of a Hénon-type polynomial automorphism of $\mathbb {C}^2$ has a given eigenvalue.

In this paper we expand the theory of connected components in non-archimedean discrete dynamical systems. We define two types of components and discuss their uses and applications in the study of dynamics of a rational function $\phi\in K(z)$ defined over a non-archimedean field K. We prove that some fundamental conjectures, including the No Wandering Domains conjecture, are equivalent, regardless of which definition of 'component' is used. We derive several results on the geometry of our components and the existence of periodic points within them. We also give a number of examples of p-adic maps with interesting or pathological dynamics.

2000 Mathematical Subject Classification: primary 37B99; secondary 11S99, 30D05.