The main focus of this book is the exploration of the geometric and dynamic properties of a far reaching generalization of a conformal iterated function system - a Graph Directed Markov System. These systems are very robust in that they apply to many settings that do not fit into the scheme of conformal iterated systems. The basic theory is laid out here and the authors have touched on many natural questions arising in its context. However, they also emphasise the many issues and current research topics which can be found in original papers. For example the detailed analysis of the structure of harmonic measures of limit sets, the examination of the doubling property of conformal measures, the extensive study of generalized polynomial like mapping or multifractal analysis of geometrically finite Kleinian groups. This book leads readers onto frontier research in the field, making it ideal for both established researchers and graduate students.

The authors develop a comprehensive theory of conformal graph directed Markov systems in the non-Riemannian setting of Carnot groups equipped with a sub-Riemannian metric. In particular, they develop the thermodynamic formalism and show that, under natural hypotheses, the limit set of an Carnot conformal GDMS has Hausdorff dimension given by Bowen's parameter. They illustrate their results for a variety of examples of both linear and nonlinear iterated function systems and graph directed Markov systems in such sub-Riemannian spaces. These include the Heisenberg continued fractions introduced by Lukyanenko and Vandehey as well as Kleinian and Schottky groups associated to the non-real classical rank one hyperbolic spaces.

The focus of this book is on open conformal dynamical systems corresponding to the escape of a point through an open Euclidean ball. The ultimate goal is to understand the asymptotic behavior of the escape rate as the radius of the ball tends to zero. In the case of hyperbolic conformal systems this has been addressed by various authors. The conformal maps considered in this book are far more general, and the analysis correspondingly more involved. The asymptotic existence of escape rates is proved and they are calculated in the context of (finite or infinite) countable alphabets, uniformly contracting conformal graph-directed Markov systems, and in particular, conformal countable alphabet iterated function systems. These results have direct applications to interval maps, rational functions and meromorphic maps. Towards this goal the authors develop, on a purely symbolic level, a theory of singular perturbations of Perron--Frobenius (transfer) operators associated with countable alphabet subshifts of finite type and Hölder continuous summable potentials. This leads to a fairly full account of the structure of the corresponding open dynamical systems and their associated surviving sets.

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This text, the first of two volumes, provides a comprehensive and self-contained introduction to a wide range of fundamental results from ergodic theory and geometric measure theory. Topics covered include: finite and infinite abstract ergodic theory, Young's towers, measure-theoretic Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy, thermodynamics formalism, geometric function theory, various kinds of conformal measures, conformal graph directed Markov systems and iterated functions systems, semi-local dynamics of analytic functions, and nice sets. Many examples are included, along with detailed explanations of essential concepts and full proofs, in what is sure to be an indispensable reference for both researchers and graduate students.

A comprehensive and detailed presentation of finite and infinite ergodic theory, fractal measures, and thermodynamic formalism.

Graph Directed Markov Systems are a powerful tool with many application areas, including dynamical systems. This text, by acknowledged experts in the field, includes the necessary background material as well as an extensive list of references suggesting further reading.

The book contains a detailed treatment of thermodynamic formalism on general compact metrizable spaces. Topological pressure, topological entropy, variational principle, and equilibrium states are presented in detail. Abstract ergodic theory is also given a significant attention. Ergodic theorems, ergodicity, and Kolmogorov-Sinai metric entropy are fully explored. Furthermore, the book gives the reader an opportunity to find rigorous presentation of thermodynamic formalism for distance expanding maps and, in particular, subshifts of finite type over a finite alphabet. It also provides a fairly complete treatment of subshifts of finite type over a countable alphabet. Transfer operators, Gibbs states and equilibrium states are, in this context, introduced and dealt with. Their relations are explored. All of this is applied to fractal geometry centered around various versions of Bowen’s formula in the context of expanding conformal repellors, limit sets of conformal iterated function systems and conformal graph directed Markov systems. A unique introduction to iteration of rational functions is given with emphasize on various phenomena caused by rationally indifferent periodic points. Also, a fairly full account of the classicaltheory of Shub’s expanding endomorphisms is given; it does not have a book presentation in English language mathematical literature.

This text, the second of two volumes, builds on the foundational material on ergodic theory and geometric measure theory provided in Volume I, and applies all the techniques discussed to describe the beautiful and rich dynamics of elliptic functions. The text begins with an introduction to topological dynamics of transcendental meromorphic functions, before progressing to elliptic functions, discussing at length their classical properties, measurable dynamics and fractal geometry. The authors then look in depth at compactly non-recurrent elliptic functions. Much of this material is appearing for the first time in book or paper form. Both senior and junior researchers working in ergodic theory and dynamical systems will appreciate what is sure to be an indispensable reference.

Monograph on Graph Directed Markov Systems with backgound and research level material.