We consider pointwise, box, and Hausdorff dimensions of invariant measures for circle diffeomorphisms. We discuss the cases of rational, Diophantine, and Liouville rotation numbers. Our main result is that for any Liouville number $τ$ there exists a $C^\infty$ circle diffeomorphism with rotation number $τ$ such that the pointwise and box dimensions of its unique invariant measure do not exist. Moreover, the lower pointwise and lower box dimensions can equal any value $0\le β\le 1$.
We discuss dynamics of skew product maps defined by circle diffeomorphisms forced by expanding circle maps. We construct an open class of such systems that are robust topologically mixing and for which almost all points in the same fiber converge under iteration. This property follows from the construction of an invariant attracting graph in the natural extension, a skew product of circle diffeomorphisms forced by a solenoid homeomorphism.
In this paper we prove the $C^1$-density of every $C^r$-conjugacy class in the closed subset of diffeomorphisms of the circle with a given irrational rotation number.
Given any Liouville number $α$, it is shown that various subspaces are $C^\infty$-dense in the space of the orientation preserving $C^\infty$ diffeomorphisms of the circle with rotation number $α$.
Classical results by Poincaré and Denjoy show that two orientation-preserving $C^2$ diffeomorphisms of the circle are topologically conjugate if and only if they have the same rotation number. We show that there is no possibility of getting such a complete numerical Borel invariant for the conjugacy relation of orientation-preserving circle diffeomorphisms by homeomorphisms with higher degree of regularity. For instance, we consider conjugacy by Hölder homeomorphisms or by $C^k$-diffeomorphisms with $k\in \mathbb{Z}^+ \cup \{\infty\}$. The proof combines techniques from Descriptive Set Theory …
Given any Liouville number $α$, it is shown that the nullity of the Hausdorff dimension of the invariant measure is generic in the space of the orientation preserving $C^\infty$ diffeomorphisms of the circle with rotation number $α$.
We carry the argument used in the proof of the Theorem of Denjoy over to the quasiperiodically forced case. Thus we derive that if a system of quasiperiodically forced circle diffeomorphisms with bounded variation of the derivative has no invariant graphs with a certain kind of topological regularity, then the system is topologically transitive.
We consider the rotation number $ρ(t)$ of a diffeomorphism $f_t=R_t\circ f$, where $R_t$ is the rotation by $t$ and $f$ is an orientation preserving $C^\infty$ diffeomorphism of the circle $S^1$. We shall show that if $ρ(t)$ is irrational $$\limsup_{t'\to t}(ρ(t')-ρ(t))/(t'-t)\geq 1.$$
We show that no C^2 circle diffeomorphism of irrational rotation number has invariant 1-distributions other than (scalar multiples of) the invariant measure. We also show that this is false in the C^1 context by giving both minimal and non-minimal examples.
We prove that if d is an integer number bigger than 1 and f_1,...,f_d are commuting circle diffeomorphisms respectively of class C^(1+τ_k), where τ_1 + ... + τ_k > 1, then these maps are simultaneously conjugate to rotations provided that their rotation numbers are independent over the rationals.
Our aim in this note is to present some of the crucial contributions of Jean-Christophe Yoccoz to the theory of circle diffeomorphisms. We start with a short historical account before exposing Yoccoz' work. Then we give a brief description of the main conceptual and technical tools of the theory, with a focus on describing Yoccoz' work and contributions.
The classical criterion for a circle diffeomorphism to be topologically conjugate to an irrational rigid rotation was given by A. Denjoy. In 1985, one of us (Sullivan) gave a new criterion. There is an example satisfying Denjoy's bounded variation condition rather than Sullivan's Zygmund condition and vice versa. This paper will give the third criterion which is implied by either of the above criteria.
We show that a finitely generated group of analytic diffeomorphisms that is expanding and locally discrete in the analytic category is analytically conjugate to a uniform lattice of a finite covering of the group of projective maps of the projective line, acting naturally on the corresponding finite covering of the projective line.
We characterize the maximal entropy measures of partially hyperbolic C^2 diffeomorphisms whose center foliations form circle bundles, by means of suitable finite sets of saddle points, that we call skeletons. In the special case of 3-dimensional nilmanifolds other than the torus, this entails the following dichotomy: either the diffeomorphism is a rotation extension of an Anosov diffeomorphism -- in which case there is a unique maximal measure, with full support and zero center Lyapunov exponents -- or there exist exactly two ergodic maximal measures, both hyperbolic and whose center Lyapunov …
Let $f$ and $\tilde{f}$ be two circle diffeomorphisms with a break point, with the same irrational rotation number of bounded type, the same size of the break $c$ and satisfying a certain Zygmund type smoothness condition depending on a parameter $γ>2.$ We prove that under a certain condition imposed on the break size $c$, the diffeomorphisms $f$ and $\tilde{f}$ are $C^{1+ω_γ}$-smoothly conjugate to each other, where $ω_γ(δ)=|\log δ|^{-(γ/2-1)}.$
We study topological properties of semi-group actions on the circle by orientation-preserving homeomorhisms. We prove that a generic action either possesses a forward-invariant interval-domain (i.e. a finite union of disjoint circle arcs), or is two-sided minimal (and, moreover, by a small perturbation one can create a map with arbitrary rotation number in the semigroup). For the minimal case, we also study conditions required for global synchronization.
This paper is concerned about the orbit equivalence types of $C^\infty$ diffeomorphisms of $S^1$ seen as nonsingular automorphisms of $(S^1,m)$, where $m$ is the Lebesgue measure. Given any Liouville number $α$, it is shown that each of the subspace formed by type ${\rm II}_1$, ${\rm II}_\infty$, ${\rm III}_λ$ ($λ>1$), ${\rm III}_\infty$ and ${\rm III}_0$ diffeomorphisms are $C^\infty$-dense in the space of the orientation preserving $C^\infty$ diffeomorphisms with rotation number $α$.
In this paper we answer positively a question of whether it is possible for a circle diffeomorphism with breaks to be smoothly conjugate to a rigid rotation in the case when its breaks are lying on pairwise distinct trajectories. An example constructed is a piecewise linear circle homeomorphism that has four break points lying on distinct trajectories, and whose invariant measure is absolutely continuous w.r.t.\ the Lebesgue measure. The irrational rotation number for our example can be chosen a Roth number, but not of bounded type.
Let $f$ be an orientation-preserving circle diffeomorphism with irrational rotation number and with a break point $ξ_{0},$ that is, its derivative $f'$ has a jump discontinuity at this point. Suppose that $f'$ satisfies a certain Zygmund condition dependent on a parameter $γ>0.$ We prove that the renormalizations of $f$ are approximated by Möbius transformations in $C^{1}$-norm if $γ\in (0,1]$ and they are approximated in $C^{2}$-norm if $γ\in (1,+\infty).$ It is also shown, that the coefficients of Möbius transformations get asymptotically linearly dependent.
We consider finitely generated groups of real-analytic circle diffeomorphisms. We show that if such a group admits an exceptional minimal set (i.e., a minimal invariant Cantor set), then its Lebesgue measure is zero; moreover, there are only finitely many orbits of connected components of its complement. For the case of minimal actions, we show that if the underlying group is (algebraically) free, then the action is ergodic with respect to the Lebesgue measure. This provides first answers to questions due to É. Ghys, G. Hector and D. Sullivan.
Let $d\geq 2$ be an integer and let $ω_1,\cdots ,ω_d$ be moduli of continuity in a specified class which contains the moduli of Hölder continuity. Let $f_k$, $k\in\{1,\cdots,d\}$, be $C^{1+ω_k}$ orientation preserving diffeomorphisms of the circle and $f_1,\cdots, f_d$ commute with each other. We prove that if the rotation numbers of $f_k$'s are independent over the rationals and $ω_1(t)\cdotsω_d(t)=tω(t)$ with $\lim_{t\rightarrow 0^+}ω(t)=0$, then $f_1,\cdots,f_d$ are simultaneously (topologically) conjugate to rigid rotations.
We prove quantitative statistical stability results for a large class of small $C^{0}$ perturbations of circle diffeomorphisms with irrational rotation numbers. We show that if the rotation number is Diophantine the invariant measure varies in a Hölder way under perturbation of the map and the Hölder exponent depends on the Diophantine type of the rotation number. The set of admissable perturbations includes the ones coming from spatial discretization and hence numerical truncation. We also show linear response for smooth perturbations that preserve the rotation number, as well as for more gen…
We show that if $f \colon S^1 \times S^1 \to S^1 \times S^1$ is $C^2$, with $f(x, t) = (f_t(x), t)$, and the rotation number of $f_t$ is equal to $t$ for all $t \in S^1$, then $f$ is topologically conjugate to the linear Dehn twist of the torus $(1&1 0&1)$. We prove a differentiability result where the assumption that the rotation number of $f_t$ is $t$ is weakened to say that the rotation number is strictly monotone in $t$.
We examine the itinerary of $0\in S^{1}=\R/\Z$ under the rotation by $α\in\R\bs\Q$. The motivating question is: if we are given only the itinerary of 0 relative to $I\subset S^{1}$, a finite union of closed intervals, can we recover $α$ and $I$? We prove that the itineraries do determine $α$ and $I$ up to certain equivalences. Then we present elementary methods for finding $α$ and $I$. Moreover, if $g:S^{1}\to S^{1}$ is a $C^{2}$, orientation preserving diffeomorphism with an irrational rotation number, then we can use the orbit itinerary to recover the rotation number up to certain equivalenc…
Given any smooth circle diffeomorphism with irrational rotation number, we show that its invariant probability measure is the only invariant distribution (up to multiplication by a real constant). As a consequence of this, we show that the space of real smooth coboundaries of such a diffeomorphism is closed if and only if its rotation number is Diophantine.
We show that a $C^{1+bv}$ circle diffeomorphism with absolutely continuous derivative and irrational rotation number can be conjugated to diffeomorphisms that are $C^{1+bv}$ arbitrary close to the corresponding rotation. This improves a theorem of M.~Herman, who established the same result but starting with a $C^2$ diffeomorphism. We prove that the same holds for countable Abelian groups of circle diffeomorphisms acting freely, a result that is new even in the $C^{\infty}$ context. Related results and examples concerning the asymptotic distortion of diffeomorphisms are presented. Along this pa…
Shub & Wilkinson and Ruelle & Wilkinson studied a class of volume preserving diffeomorphisms on the three dimensional torus that are stably ergodic. The diffeomorphisms are partially hyperbolic and admit an invariant central foliation of circles. The foliation is not absolutely continuous, in fact, Ruelle & Wilkinson established that the disintegration of volume along central leaves is atomic. We show that in such a class of volume preserving diffeomorphisms the disintegration of volume along central leaves is a single delta measure. We also formulate a general result for conservative three di…
Using the novel notion of parablender, P. Berger proved that the existence of finitely many attractors is not Kolmogorov typical in parametric families of diffeomorphisms. Here, motivated by the concept of Newhouse domains we define Berger domains for families of diffeomorphisms. As an application, we show that the coexistence of infinitely many attracting invariant smooth circles is Kolmogorov typical in certain non-sectionally dissipative Berger domains of parametric families in dimension three or greater.
We study groups of circle diffeomorphisms whose action on the cylinder $\mathcal C=\mathbb S^1\times \mathbb S^1\setminus Δ$ preserves a volume form. We first show that such a group is topologically conjugate to a subgroup of $\rm{PSL}(2,\mathbb R)$, then discuss the existence of a differentiable conjugacy.
In these lectures we consider how algebraic properties of discrete subgroups of Lie groups restrict the possible actions of those groups on surfaces. The results show a strong parallel between the possible actions of such a group on the circle $S^1$ and the measure preserving actions on surfaces. Our aim is the study of the (non)-existence of actions of lattices in a large class of non-compact Lie groups on surfaces. A definitive analysis of the analogous question for actions on $S^1$ was carried out by É. Ghys. Our approach is topological and insofar as possible we try to isolate properties o…
We consider groups of orientation-preserving real analytic diffeomorphisms of the circle which have a finite image under the rotation number function. We show that if such a group is nondiscrete with respect to the $C^1$-topology then it has a finite orbit. As a corollary, we show that if such a group has no finite orbit then each of its subgroups contains either a cyclic group of finite index or a nonabelian free subgroup.
We initiate a study of distortion elements in the Polish groups $\mbox{Diff}_+^k(\mathbb{S}^1)$ ($1\leq k<\infty$), as well as $\mbox{Diff}_+^{1+AC}(\mathbb{S}^1)$, in terms of maximal metrics on these groups. We classify distortion in the $k=1$ case: a $C^1$ circle diffeomorphism is $C^1$-undistorted if and only if it has a hyperbolic periodic point. On the other hand, answering a question of Navas, we exhibit analytic circle diffeomorphisms with only non-hyperbolic fixed points which are $C^{1+AC}$-undistorted, and hence $C^k$-undistorted for all $k\geq 2$. In the appendix, we exhibit a maxi…
A topological classification of many classes of dynamical systems with regular dynamics in low dimensions is often reduced to combinatorial invariants. In dimension 3 combinatorial invariants are proved to be insufficient even for simplest Morse-Smale diffeomorphisms. The complete topological invariant for the systems with a single saddle point on the 3-sphere is the embedding of the homotopy non-trivial knot into the manifold $\mathbb S^2\times\mathbb S^1$. If a diffeomorphism has several saddle points their unstable separatrices form arcs frames in the basin of the sink and circles frame in …
We study the projective derivative as a cocycle of Möbius transformations over groups of circle diffeomorphisms. By computing precise expressions for this cocycle, we obtain several results about reducibility and almost reducibility to a cocycle of rotations. We also introduce an extension of this cocycle to the diagonal action on the 3-torus for which we generalize the previous results.
In this article we prove that iterated renormalisations of $\mathcal{C}^r$ circle diffeomorphisms with $d$ breaks, $r>2$, with given size of breaks, converge to an invariant family of piecewise Moebius maps, of dimension $2d$. We prove that this invariant family identifies with a \textit{relative character variety} $χ(π_1 Σ, \mathrm{PSL}(2,\mathbb{R}), \mathbf{h})$ where $Σ$ is a $d$-holed torus, and that the renormalisation operator identifies with a sub-action of the mapping class group $\mathrm{MCG}(Σ)$. This action is known to preserves a symplectic form, thanks to the work of Guruprasad-H…
The rigidity theory for circle homeomophisms with breaks was studied intensively in the last 20 years. It was proved that under mild conditions of the Diophantine type on the rotation number any two $C^{2+α}$ smooth circle homeomorphisms with a break point are $C^1$ smoothly conjugate to each other, provided that they have the same rotation number and the same size of the break. In this paper we prove that the conjugacy may not be $C^{2-ν}$ even if the maps are analytic outside of the break points. This result shows that the rigidity theory for maps with singularities is very different from th…
Let f be a class P -homeomorphism of the circle. We prove that there exists a piecewise analytic homeomorphism that conjugate f to a one-class P with prescribed break points lying on pairwise distinct orbits. As a consequence, we give a sharp estimate for the smoothness of a conjugation of class P -homeomorphism f of the circle satisfying the (D)-property (i.e. the product of f-jumps in the break points contained in a same orbit is trivial), to diffeomorphism. When f does not satisfy the (D)-property the conjugating homeomorphism is never piecewise C^1 and even more it is not absolutely contin…
We prove that any two $C^4$ critical circle maps with the same irrational rotation number and the same odd criticality are conjugate to each other by a $C^1$ circle diffeomorphism. The conjugacy is $C^{1+α}$ for Lebesgue almost every rotation number.
Let $λ$ denote the probability Lebesgue measure on ${\mathbb T}^2$. For any $C^2$-Anosov diffeomorphism of the $2$-torus preserving $λ$ with measure-theoretic entropy equal to topological entropy, we show that the set of points with nondense orbits is hyperplane absolute winning (HAW). This generalizes the result in~\cite[Theorem~1.4]{T4} for $C^2$-expanding maps of the circle.
The construction of complex rotation numbers, due to V.Arnold, gives rise to a fractal-like set "bubbles" related to a circle diffeomorphism. "Bubbles" is a complex analogue to Arnold tongues. This article contains a survey of the known properties of bubbles, as well as a variety of open questions. In particular, we show that bubbles can intersect and self-intersect, and provide approximate pictures of bubbles for perturbations of Möbius circle diffeomorphisms.
In this paper we study some skew product diffeomorphisms with nonuniformly hyperbolic structure along fibers. We show that there is an invariant measure with zero entropy which has atomic conditional measures along fibers.
We construct examples of $C^{1}$ Anosov diffeomorphisms on $\mathbb{T}^{2}$ which are of Krieger type ${\rm III}_{1}$ with respect to Lebesgue measure. This shows that the Gurevic Oseledec phenomena that conservative $C^{1+α}$ Anosov diffeomorphisms have a smooth invariant measure does not hold true in the $C^{1}$ setting.
We give a simple upper bound for the upper box dimension of a backward invariant set of a $C^{1}$-diffeomorphism of a Riemannian manifold. We also estimate an upper bound for the box dimension of a forward invariant set of a $C^{1}$-mapping with finite Brouwer degree in a Riemannian manifold.
We study the dynamics of iteration function systems generated by a pair of circle diffeomorphisms close to rotations in the $C^{1+\mathrm{bv}}$-topology. We characterize the obstruction to minimality and describe the limit set. In particular, there are no invariant minimal Cantor sets, which can be seen as a Denjoy/Duminy type theorem for iterated systems on the circle.
