Weak mixing suspension flows over shifts of finite type are universal

Let S be an ergodic measure-preserving automorphism on a non-atomic probability space, and let T be the time-one map of a topologically weak mixing suspension flow over an irreducible subshift of finite type under a Holder ceiling function. We show that if the measure-theoretic entropy of S is strictly less than the topological entropy of T, then there exists an embedding from the measure-preserving automorphism into the suspension flow. As a corollary of this result and the symbolic dynamics for geodesic flows on compact surfaces of negative curvature developed by Bowen and Ratner, we also obtain an embedding from the measure-preserving automorphism into a geodesic flow, whenever the measure-theoretic entropy of S is strictly less than the topological entropy of the time-one map of the geodesic flow.Comment: 27 pages, 1 figur

Construction of curious minimal uniquely ergodic homeomorphisms on manifolds: the Denjoy-Rees technique

Mary Rees has constructed a minimal homeomorphism of the 2-torus with positive topological entropy. This homeomorphism f is obtained by enriching the dynamics of an irrational rotation R. We improve Rees construction, allowing to start with any homeomorphism R instead of an irrational rotation and to control precisely the measurable dynamics of f. This yields in particular the following result: Any compact manifold of dimension d>1 which carries a minimal uniquely ergodic homeomorphism also carries a minimal uniquely ergodic homeomorphism with positive topological entropy. More generally, given some homeomorphism R of a (compact) manifold and some homeomorphism h of a Cantor set, we construct a homeomorphism f which "looks like" R from the topological viewpoint and "looks like" R*h from the measurable viewpoint. This construction can be seen as a partial answer to the following realisability question: which measurable dynamical systems are represented by homeomorphisms on manifolds