Adding machines and wild attractors

Abstract

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.