On systems with finite ergodic degree

In this paper we study the ergodic theory of a class of symbolic dynamical systems (\O, T, \mu) where T:{\O}\to \O the left shift transformation on \O=\prod_0^\infty\{0,1\} and $\mu$ is a \s-finite $T$-invariant measure having the property that one can find a real number $d$ so that $\mu(\tau^d)=\infty$ but $\mu(\tau^{d-\epsilon})0$, where $\tau$ is the first passage time function in the reference state 1. In particular we shall consider invariant measures $\mu$ arising from a potential $V$ which is uniformly continuous but not of summable variation. If $d>0$ then $\mu$ can be normalized to give the unique non-atomic equilibrium probability measure of $V$ for which we compute the (asymptotically) exact mixing rate, of order $n^{-d}$. We also establish the weak-Bernoulli property and a polynomial cluster property (decay of correlations) for observables of polynomial variation. If instead $d\leq 0$ then $\mu$ is an infinite measure with scaling rate of order $n^d$. Moreover, the analytic properties of the weighted dynamical zeta function and those of the Fourier transform of correlation functions are shown to be related to one another via the spectral properties of an operator-valued power series which naturally arises from a standard inducing procedure. A detailed control of the singular behaviour of these functions in the vicinity of their non-polar singularity at $z=1$ is achieved through an approximation scheme which uses generating functions of a suitable renewal process. In the perspective of differentiable dynamics, these are statements about the unique absolutely continuous invariant measure of a class of piecewise smooth interval maps with an indifferent fixed point.Comment: 42 page

On a set of numbers arising in the dynamics of unimodal maps

In this paper we initiate the study of the arithmetical properties of a set numbers which encode the dynamics of unimodal maps in a universal way along with that of the corresponding topological zeta function. Here we are concerned in particular with the Feigenbaum bifurcation.Comment: 12 page

On the generic triangle group

We introduce the concept of a generic Euclidean triangle $\tau$ and study the group $G_\tau$ generated by the reflection across the edges of $\tau$. In particular, we prove that the subgroup $T_\tau$ of all translations in $G_\tau$ is free abelian of infinite rank, while the index 2 subgroup $H_\tau$ of all orientation preserving transformations in $G_\tau$ is free metabelian of rank 2, with $T_\tau$ as the commutator subgroup. As a consequence, the group $G_\tau$ cannot be finitely presented and we provide explicit minimal infinite presentations of both $H_\tau$ and $G_\tau$. This answers in the affirmative the problem of the existence of a minimal presentation for the free metabelian group of rank 2. Moreover, we discuss some examples of non-trivial relations in $T_\tau$ holding for given non-generic triangles $\tau$.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figure

Dimensions and singular traces for spectral triples, with applications to fractals

Given a spectral triple (A,D,H), the functionals on A of the form a -> tau_omega(a|D|^(-t)) are studied, where tau_omega is a singular trace, and omega is a generalised limit. When tau_omega is the Dixmier trace, the unique exponent d giving rise possibly to a non-trivial functional is called Hausdorff dimension, and the corresponding functional the (d-dimensional) Hausdorff functional. It is shown that the Hausdorff dimension d coincides with the abscissa of convergence of the zeta function of |D|^(-1), and that the set of t's for which there exists a singular trace tau_omega giving rise to a non-trivial functional is an interval containing d. Moreover, the endpoints of such traceability interval have a dimensional interpretation. The corresponding functionals are called Hausdorff-Besicovitch functionals. These definitions are tested on fractals in R, by computing the mentioned quantities and showing in many cases their correspondence with classical objects. In particular, for self-similar fractals the traceability interval consists only of the Hausdorff dimension, and the corresponding Hausdorff-Besicovitch functional gives rise to the Hausdorff measure. More generally, for any limit fractal, the described functionals do not depend on the generalized limit omega.Comment: latex, 36 pages, no figures, to appear on Journ. Funct. Analysi

Novikov-Shubin invariants and asymptotic dimensions for open manifolds

The Novikov-Shubin numbers are defined for open manifolds with bounded geometry, the Gamma-trace of Atiyah being replaced by a semicontinuous semifinite trace on the C*-algebra of almost local operators. It is proved that they are invariant under quasi-isometries and, making use of the theory of singular traces for C*-algebras developed in math/9802015, they are interpreted as asymptotic dimensions since, in analogy with what happens in Connes' noncommutative geometry, they indicate which power of the Laplacian gives rise to a singular trace. Therefore, as in geometric measure theory, these numbers furnish the order of infinitesimal giving rise to a non trivial measure. The dimensional interpretation is strenghtened in the case of the 0-th Novikov-Shubin invariant, which is shown to coincide, under suitable geometric conditions, with the asymptotic counterpart of the box dimension of a metric space. Since this asymptotic dimension coincides with the polynomial growth of a discrete group, the previous equality generalises a result by Varopoulos for covering manifolds. This paper subsumes dg-ga/9612015. In particular, in the previous version only the 0th Novikov-Shubin number was considered, while here Novikov-Shubin numbers for all p are defined and studied.Comment: 43 pages, LaTex2

Series expansions for Maass forms on the full modular group from the Farey transfer operators

We deepen the study of the relations previously established by Mayer, Lewis and Zagier, and the authors, among the eigenfunctions of the transfer operators of the Gauss and the Farey maps, the solutions of the Lewis-Zagier three-term functional equation and the Maass forms on the modular surface PSL(2,\Z)\backslash \HH. In particular we introduce an "inverse" of the integral transform studied by Lewis and Zagier, and use it to obtain new series expansions for the Maass cusp forms and the non-holomorphic Eisenstein series restricted to the imaginary axis. As corollaries we obtain further information on the Fourier coefficients of the forms, including a new series expansion for the divisor function.Comment: 35 page

Tangential dimensions I. Metric spaces

Pointwise tangential dimensions are introduced for metric spaces. Under regularity conditions, the upper, resp. lower, tangential dimensions of X at x can be defined as the supremum, resp. infimum, of box dimensions of the tangent sets, a la Gromov, of X at x. Our main purpose is that of introducing a tool which is very sensitive to the "multifractal behaviour at a point" of a set, namely which is able to detect the "oscillations" of the dimension at a given point. In particular we exhibit examples where upper and lower tangential dimensions differ, even when the local upper and lower box dimensions coincide. Tangential dimensions can be considered as the classical analogue of the tangential dimensions for spectral triples introduced in math.OA/0202108 and math.OA/0404295, in the framework of Alain Connes' noncommutative geometry.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures. This version corresponds to the first part of v1, the second part being now included in math.FA/040517