Large deviations for non-uniformly expanding maps

We obtain large deviation results for non-uniformly expanding maps with non-flat singularities or criticalities and for partially hyperbolic non-uniformly expanding attracting sets. That is, given a continuous function we consider its space average with respect to a physical measure and compare this with the time averages along orbits of the map, showing that the Lebesgue measure of the set of points whose time averages stay away from the space average decays to zero exponentially fast with the number of iterates involved. As easy by-products we deduce escape rates from subsets of the basins of physical measures for these types of maps. The rates of decay are naturally related to the metric entropy and pressure function of the system with respect to a family of equilibrium states. The corrections added to the published version of this text appear in bold; see last section for a list of changesComment: 36 pages, 1 figure. After many PhD students and colleagues having pointed several errors in the statements and proofs, this is a correction to published article answering those comments. List of main changes in a new last sectio

Statistical stability and continuity of SRB entropy for systems with Gibbs-Markov structures

We present conditions on families of diffeomorphisms that guarantee statistical stability and SRB entropy continuity. They rely on the existence of horseshoe-like sets with infinitely many branches and variable return times. As an application we consider the family of Henon maps within the set of Benedicks-Carleson parameters

Infinitely Many Stochastically Stable Attractors

Let f be a diffeomorphism of a compact finite dimensional boundaryless manifold M exhibiting infinitely many coexisting attractors. Assume that each attractor supports a stochastically stable probability measure and that the union of the basins of attraction of each attractor covers Lebesgue almost all points of M. We prove that the time averages of almost all orbits under random perturbations are given by a finite number of probability measures. Moreover these probability measures are close to the probability measures supported by the attractors when the perturbations are close to the original map f.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

Symmetry breaking perturbations and strange attractors

The asymmetrically forced, damped Duffing oscillator is introduced as a prototype model for analyzing the homoclinic tangle of symmetric dissipative systems with \textit{symmetry breaking} disturbances. Even a slight fixed asymmetry in the perturbation may cause a substantial change in the asymptotic behavior of the system, e.g. transitions from two sided to one sided strange attractors as the other parameters are varied. Moreover, slight asymmetries may cause substantial asymmetries in the relative size of the basins of attraction of the unforced nearly symmetric attracting regions. These changes seems to be associated with homoclinic bifurcations. Numerical evidence indicates that \textit{strange attractors} appear near curves corresponding to specific secondary homoclinic bifurcations. These curves are found using analytical perturbational tools

Representation of Markov chains by random maps: existence and regularity conditions

We systematically investigate the problem of representing Markov chains by families of random maps, and which regularity of these maps can be achieved depending on the properties of the probability measures. Our key idea is to use techniques from optimal transport to select optimal such maps. Optimal transport theory also tells us how convexity properties of the supports of the measures translate into regularity properties of the maps via Legendre transforms. Thus, from this scheme, we cannot only deduce the representation by measurable random maps, but we can also obtain conditions for the representation by continuous random maps. Finally, we present conditions for the representation of Markov chain by random diffeomorphisms.Comment: 22 pages, several changes from the previous version including extended discussion of many detail

The compound Poisson limit ruling periodic extreme behaviour of non-uniformly hyperbolic dynamics

We prove that the distributional limit of the normalised number of returns to small neighbourhoods of periodic points of non-uniformly hyperbolic dynamical systems is compound Poisson. The returns to small balls around a fixed point in the phase space correspond to the occurrence of rare events, or exceedances of high thresholds, so that there is a connection between the laws of Return Times Statistics and Extreme Value Laws. The fact that the fixed point in the phase space is a repelling periodic point implies that there is a tendency for the exceedances to appear in clusters whose average sizes is given by the Extremal Index, which depends on the expansion of the system at the periodic point. We recall that for generic points, the exceedances, in the limit, are singular and occur at Poisson times. However, around periodic points, the picture is different: the respective point processes of exceedances converge to a compound Poisson process, so instead of single exceedances, we have entire clusters of exceedances occurring at Poisson times with a geometric distribution ruling its multiplicity. The systems to which our results apply include: general piecewise expanding maps of the interval (Rychlik maps), maps with indifferent fixed points (Manneville-Pomeau maps) and Benedicks-Carleson quadratic maps.Comment: To appear in Communications in Mathematical Physic

Post-critical set and non existence of preserved meromorphic two-forms

We present a family of birational transformations in $CP_2$ depending on two, or three, parameters which does not, generically, preserve meromorphic two-forms. With the introduction of the orbit of the critical set (vanishing condition of the Jacobian), also called ``post-critical set'', we get some new structures, some "non-analytic" two-form which reduce to meromorphic two-forms for particular subvarieties in the parameter space. On these subvarieties, the iterates of the critical set have a polynomial growth in the \emph{degrees of the parameters}, while one has an exponential growth out of these subspaces. The analysis of our birational transformation in $CP_2$ is first carried out using Diller-Favre criterion in order to find the complexity reduction of the mapping. The integrable cases are found. The identification between the complexity growth and the topological entropy is, one more time, verified. We perform plots of the post-critical set, as well as calculations of Lyapunov exponents for many orbits, confirming that generically no meromorphic two-form can be preserved for this mapping. These birational transformations in $CP_2$, which, generically, do not preserve any meromorphic two-form, are extremely similar to other birational transformations we previously studied, which do preserve meromorphic two-forms. We note that these two sets of birational transformations exhibit totally similar results as far as topological complexity is concerned, but drastically different results as far as a more ``probabilistic'' approach of dynamical systems is concerned (Lyapunov exponents). With these examples we see that the existence of a preserved meromorphic two-form explains most of the (numerical) discrepancy between the topological and probabilistic approach of dynamical systems.Comment: 34 pages, 7 figure

KMS states and conformal measures

From a non-constant holomorphic map on a connected Riemann surface we construct an 'etale second countable locally compact Hausdorff groupoid whose associated groupoid C*-algebra admits a one-parameter group of automorphisms with the property that its KMS states corresponds to conformal measures in the sense of Sullivan. In this way certain quadratic polynomials give rise to quantum statistical models with a phase transition arising from spontaneous symmetry breaking.Comment: The last section revised. This version will appear in Comm. Math. Phy

Stochastic stability at the boundary of expanding maps

We consider endomorphisms of a compact manifold which are expanding except for a finite number of points and prove the existence and uniqueness of a physical measure and its stochastical stability. We also characterize the zero-noise limit measures for a model of the intermittent map and obtain stochastic stability for some values of the parameter. The physical measures are obtained as zero-noise limits which are shown to satisfy Pesin?s Entropy Formula

Three-dimensional coherent X-ray diffraction imaging of a ceramic nanofoam: determination of structural deformation mechanisms

Ultra-low density polymers, metals, and ceramic nanofoams are valued for their high strength-to-weight ratio, high surface area and insulating properties ascribed to their structural geometry. We obtain the labrynthine internal structure of a tantalum oxide nanofoam by X-ray diffractive imaging. Finite element analysis from the structure reveals mechanical properties consistent with bulk samples and with a diffusion limited cluster aggregation model, while excess mass on the nodes discounts the dangling fragments hypothesis of percolation theory.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 30 reference