This paper is concerned with minimal foliations; these are foliations whose leaves are extremals of a prescribed variational problem, as for example foliations consisting of minimal surfaces. Such a minimal foliation is called stable if for any small perturbation of the variational problem there exists a minimal foliation conjugate under a smooth diffeomorphism to the original foliation. In this paper the stability of special foliations of codimension 1 on a higher-dimensional torus is established. This result requires small divisor assumptions similar to those encountered in dynamical systems. This theorem can be viewed as a generalization of the perturbation theory of invariant tori for Hamiltonian systems to elliptic partial differential equations for which one obtains quasi-periodic solutions.

We introduce an ‘entropy’ hm(f) for a continuous mapping of a compact metric space to itself which is denned in terms of (n, ∈)-separated subsets of inverse images of individual points. This invariant is compared with the inverse-image entropy h_(f) introduced recently by Langevin and Walczak. The two main results are: (1) the inequality hm(f) ≤ h(f) ≤ hm(f) + h_(f) relating hm, h_ and the topological entropy h(f); (2) if pseudo-orbits are used in place of orbits in the definition of hm then the quantity that results is equal to the topological entropy. We actually establish an inequality that at least formally is slightly stronger than (1) by defining a variant of h_ which we call hi; it is trivial to show that hi ≤ h_, and we show that h ≤ hi + hm, from which (1) follows.

Various definitions of the entropy for countable-state topological Markov chains are considered. Concrete examples show that these quantities do not coincide in general and can behave badly under nice maps. Certain restricted random walks which arise in a problem in magnetic recording provide interesting examples of chains. Factors of some of these chains have entropy equal to the growth rate of the number of periodic orbits, even though they contain no subshifts of finite type with positive entropy; others are almost sofic – they contain subshifts of finite type with entropy arbitrarily close to their own. Attempting to find the entropies of such subshifts of finite type motivates the method of entropy computation by loop analysis, in which it is not necessary to write down any matrices or evaluate any determinants. A method for variable-length encoding into these systems is proposed, and some of the smaller subshifts of finite type inside these systems are displayed.

The appearance of numerous period-doubling cascades is among the most prominent features of parametrized maps, that is, smooth one-parameter families of maps F:ℝ×𝔐→𝔐, where 𝔐 is a smooth locally compact manifold without boundary, typically ℝN. Each cascade has infinitely many period-doubling bifurcations, and it is typical to observe that, whenever there are any cascades, there are infinitely many cascades. We develop a general theory of cascades for generic F.

We consider Gevrey perturbations H of a completely integrable non-degenerate Gevrey Hamiltonian H0. Given a Cantor set $\Omega_\kappa$ defined by a Diophantine condition, we find a family of Kolmogorov–Arnold–Moser (KAM) invariant tori of H with frequencies $\omega\in \Omega_\kappa$ which is Gevrey smooth in a Whitney sense. Moreover, we obtain a symplectic Gevrey normal form of the Hamiltonian in a neighborhood of the union $\Lambda$ of the invariant tori. This leads to effective stability of the quasi-periodic motion near $\Lambda$.

We study the dynamics of a transformation that acts on infinite paths in the graph associated with Pascal's triangle. For each ergodic invariant measure the asymptotic law of the return time to cylinders is given by a step function. We construct a representation of the system by a subshift on a two-symbol alphabet and then prove that the complexity function of this subshift is asymptotic to a cubic, the frequencies of occurrence of blocks behave in a regular manner, and the subshift is topologically weak mixing.

We study the Hausdorff dimension for Lyapunov exponents for a class of interval maps which includes several non-hyperbolic situations. We also analyze the level sets of points with given lower and upper Lyapunov exponents and, in particular, with zero lower Lyapunov exponent. We prove that the level set of points with zero exponent has full Hausdorff dimension, but carries no topological entropy.

We consider a generalized Fredholm determinant d(z) and a generalized Selberg zeta function ζ(ω)−1 for Axiom A diffeomorphisms of a surface and Axiom A flows on three-dimensional manifolds, respectively. We show that d(z) and ζ(ω)−1 extend to entire functions in the complex plane. That the functions are entire and not only meromorphic is proved by a new method, identifying removable singularities by a change of Markov partitions.

We prove that any topological conjugacy between subshifts is decomposed into the product of‘bipartite codes’, and obtain a natural generalization of Williams' theorem to sofic systems: two sofic systems are topologically conjugate iff the ‘representation matrices’ of the right [left] Krieger covers for them are ‘strong shift equivalent’ within right [left] Krieger covers; a similar result with respect to Fischer covers holds for transitive sofic systems.

Hill's lunar problem appears in celestial mechanics as a limit of the restricted three-body problem. It is parameter-free and thus globally far from any simple well-known problem, and has shed strong numerical evidence of its lack of integrability in the past. An algebraic proof of meromorphic non-integrability is presented here. Beyond the result itself, the paper can also be considered as an example of the application of differential Galois and Morales–Ramis theories to a significant problem.

We show the stability of an elliptic fixed point of an analytic area-preserving mapping under the Bruno condition, using Moser's Twist-mapping Theorem. We require that there are non-vanishing Birkhoff constants and prove the convergence of the transformation to the Birkhoff normal form if all Birkhoff constants are zero. The convergence theorem is formulated and proved for arbitrary dimensions.

We construct Bratteli–Vershik models for Toeplitz flows and characterize a class of properly ordered Bratteli diagrams corresponding to these flows. We use this result to extend by a novel approach—using basic theory of dimension groups—an interesting and non-trivial result about Toeplitz flows, first shown by Downarowicz. (Williams had previously obtained preliminary results in this direction.) The result states that to any Choquet simplex $K$, there exists a $0$–$1$ Toeplitz flow $(Y,\psi)$, so that the set of invariant probability measures of $(Y,\psi)$ is affinely homeomorphic to $K$. Not only do we give a conceptually new proof of this result, we also show that we may choose $(Y,\psi)$ to have zero entropy and to have full rational spectrum.

Furthermore, our Bratteli–Vershik model for a given Toeplitz flow explicitly exhibits the factor map onto the maximal equicontinuous (odometer) factor. We utilize this to give a simple proof of the existence of a uniquely ergodic 0–1 Toeplitz flow of zero entropy having a given odometer as its maximal equicontinuous factor and being strongly orbit equivalent to this factor. By the same token, we show the existence of 0–1 Toeplitz flows having the 2-odometer as their maximal equicontinuous factor, being strong orbit equivalent to the same, and assuming any entropy value in $[0,\ln 2)$.

Finally, we show by an explicit example, using Bratteli diagrams, that Toeplitz flows are not preserved under Kakutani equivalence (in fact, under inducing)—contrasting what is the case for substitution minimal systems. In fact, the example we exhibit is an induced system of a 0–1 Toeplitz flow which is conjugate to the Chacon substitution system, thus it is prime, i.e. it has no non-trivial factors.

The thrust of our paper is to demonstrate the relevance and usefulness of Bratteli–Vershik models and dimension group theory for the study of minimal symbolic systems. This is also exemplified in recent papers by Forrest and by Durand, Host and Skau, treating substitution minimal systems, and by papers by Boyle, Handelman and by Ormes.

Given a two-parameter family of three-dimensional diffeomorphisms \{f_{a,b}\}_{a,b}, with a dissipative (but not sectionally dissipative) saddle fixed point, assume that a special type of quadratic homoclinic tangency of the invariant manifolds exists. Then there is a return map f^n_{a,b}, near the homoclinic orbit, for values of the parameter near such a tangency and for n large enough, such that, after a change of variables and reparametrization depending on n, this return map tends to a simple quadratic map. This implies the existence of strange attractors and infinitely many sinks as in other known cases. Moreover, there appear attracting invariant circles, implying the existence of quasi-periodic behaviour near the homoclinic tangency.

We prove that any expanding piecewise real-analytic map of a bounded region of the plane admits absolutely continuous invariant probability measures.

We give examples of maps of the interval with zero entropy for which the continuous invariant measure has no dimension, and we prove a dimension property for maps lying in the stable manifold of Feigenbaum's fixed points.

In this report we show that a twist map of an annulus with a periodic point of rotation number p/q must have a Birkhoff periodic point of rotation number p/q. We use topological techniques so no assumption of area-preservation or circle intersection property is needed. If the map is area-preserving then this theorem andthe fixed point theorem of Birkhoff imply a recent theorem of Aubry and Mather. We also show that periodic orbits of (significantly) smallest period for a twist map must be Birkhoff.

It is shown that for n ≥ 3 the Lebesgue measure is the unique finitely-additive isometry-invariant measure on the ring of bounded Lebesgue measurable subsets of the n-dimensional Euclidean space.

We study aperiodic substitution dynamical systems arising from non-primitive substitutions. We prove that the Vershik homeomorphism φ of a stationary ordered Bratteli diagram is topologically conjugate to an aperiodic substitution system if and only if no restriction of φ to a minimal component is conjugate to an odometer. We also show that every aperiodic substitution system generated by a substitution with nesting property is conjugate to the Vershik map of a stationary ordered Bratteli diagram. It is proved that every aperiodic substitution system is recognizable. The classes of m-primitive substitutions and derivative substitutions associated with them are studied. We discuss also the notion of expansiveness for Cantor dynamical systems of finite rank.

We study Markov chains via invariants constructed from periodic orbits. Canonical extensions, based on these invariants, are used to establish a constraint on the degree of finite-to-one block homomorphisms from one Markov chain to another. We construct a polytope from the normalized weights of periodic orbits. Using this polytope, we find canonically-defined induced Markov chains inside the original Markov chain. Each of the invariants associated with these Markov chains gives rise to a scaffold of invariants for the original Markov chain. This is used to obtain counterexamples to the finite equivalence conjecture and to a conjecture regarding finitary isomorphism with finite expected coding time. Also included are results related to the problem of minimality (with respect to block homomorphism) of Bernoulli shifts in the class of Markov chains with beta function equal to the beta function of the Bernoulli shift.

In this article, we study the automorphism group $\text{Aut}(X,{\it\sigma})$ of subshifts $(X,{\it\sigma})$ of low word complexity. In particular, we prove that $\text{Aut}(X,{\it\sigma})$ is virtually $\mathbb{Z}$ for aperiodic minimal subshifts and certain transitive subshifts with non-superlinear complexity. More precisely, the quotient of this group relative to the one generated by the shift map is a finite group. In addition, we show that any finite group can be obtained in this way. The class considered includes minimal subshifts induced by substitutions, linearly recurrent subshifts and even some subshifts which simultaneously exhibit non-superlinear and superpolynomial complexity along different subsequences. The main technique in this article relies on the study of classical relations among points used in topological dynamics, in particular, asymptotic pairs. Various examples that illustrate the technique developed in this article are provided. In particular, we prove that the group of automorphisms of a $d$-step nilsystem is nilpotent of order $d$ and from there we produce minimal subshifts of arbitrarily large polynomial complexity whose automorphism groups are also virtually $\mathbb{Z}$.