Self-similar measures and sequences (Q1120622)

Let \({\mathcal A}\) be a finite or countable alphabet of at least two letters and let \({\mathcal I}\) be a family of intervals \(I_ a\) in [0,1], \(a\in {\mathcal A}\), with pairwise disjoint non empty interiors, such that \(F:=\cup_{a\in {\mathcal A}}I_ a\) is dense in [0,1]. A family \(\Phi\) of homeomorphisms \(\phi_ a\) from [0,1] to \(\overline{I_ a}\) is called a deformation. Let \(\phi^*_ a\) be the restriction of \(\phi_ a\) on \(\phi_ a^{-1}(I_ a)\) and let \(\epsilon:=\epsilon_ 1\epsilon_ 2\epsilon_ 3..\). be an infinite word on \({\mathcal A}\) such that each letter occurs infinitely often in \(\epsilon\). The author calls a sequence \(u=(u_ n)_{n\geq 1}\) in [0,1] self-similar associated to the system (\(\Phi\),\(\epsilon)\) if \(\phi^*_ a(u_ n)\) is the subsequence of elements \(u_ n\) which belong to \(I_ a\). Moreover for all n, \(u_ n\in I_{\epsilon_ n}\) or \(u_ n\not\in F.\) Then technical hypotheses (H) are assumed on \({\mathcal I}\) and \(\Phi\) to ensure a unique self-similar sequence associated with (\(\Phi\),\(\epsilon)\). In the case where \({\mathcal I}\) is a finite partition of [0,1] and for natural initial conditions on u and \(\epsilon\), the hypotheses (H) are fulfilled. The sequence u is then given for \(n>1\) by \(u_ n:=\phi_{\epsilon_ n}(u_ m)\), with \(m:=card\{i\); \(1\leq i\leq n\), \(\epsilon_ i=\epsilon_ n\}\). The classical sequence of \textit{J. G. van der Corput} [Akad. Wetensch. Amsterdam, Proc. 38, 813-821 (1935; Zbl 0012.34705)] is obtained with \({\mathcal A}=\{0,1\}\), \(I_ 0=[0,[\), \(I_ 1:=[,1]\), \(\epsilon:=0101..\). and \(\phi_ a(x)=(x+a)/2.\) Generalizations of such a sequence given by \textit{H. Faure} [Bull. Soc. Math. Fr. 109, 143-182 (1981; Zbl 0488.10052)] and sequences \((n\theta)_ n\) with \(\theta:=(\sqrt{m+4}-m)/2\) can also be constructed by this method. The particular case where intervals \(I_ a\) are closed (and \({\mathcal A}:=\{0,1,...,k-1\})\) is investigated in details. Such a deformation defines a piecewise monotonic transformation S: [0,1]\(\setminus D\to [0,1]\), given by \(S(x):=\phi_ a^{-1}(x)\) if \(x\in I_ a\) where D is the set of extremities of intervals \(I_ a\). Put \(D^*:=\cup_{n\geq 0}S^{-n}(D)\). For each \(x\in [0,1]\setminus D^*\) a \(\Phi\)-expansion of x is an infinite word \({\mathfrak a}=a_ 1a_ 2a_ 3..\). given by \(S^{n-1}x\in I_{a_ n}\). Now \({\mathfrak a}\) is said to be regular (for \(\Phi)\) if it corresponds to the \(\Phi\)-expansion of only one point. These notions are closely related to the work of \textit{B. H. Bissinger} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 50, 868-876 (1944; Zbl 0060.163)], \textit{C. J. Everett} [ibid. 52, 861-869 (1946; Zbl 0061.094)], \textit{A. Renyi} [Acta Math. Acad. Sci. Hungar. 8, 477-493 (1957; Zbl 0079.089)] and \textit{F. Hofbauer} [Dissertation, Wien (1976); Isr. J. Math. 34, 213-237 (1979; Zbl 0422.28015); ibid. 38, 107-115 (1981; Zbl 0456.28006)]. Let \(\Psi:=\{\psi_ a:\) \([0,1]\to [\beta_ a,\beta_{a+1}]\); \(\psi_ a\) increasing, \(a=0,1,...,k-1\}\) be another deformation. Then the author defines a transformation \(T=T_{\Phi \Psi}\) on the set \({\mathcal P}\) of all probability measures \(\mu\) on [0,1] by \(T\mu (E):=\psi_ a(\mu (\phi_ a^{-1}(E))\) for every Borel set E in \(I_ a\). Theorem 5.4: If all infinite words \({\mathfrak a}\) are regular for \(\Phi\) or \(\Psi\) then T has a unique invariant measure \(\mu^ 0\) and for each \(\mu\in {\mathcal P}\), the sequence \((T^ n\mu)_ n\) converges weakly to \(\mu^ 0\) (Reviewer's note: ``strongly'' must be changed into ``weakly'' everywhere in the paper). Moreover \(\mu^ 0\) is continuous at each regular point for \(\Psi\) (Proposition 6.3) and \(\mu^ 0\) is S-invariant if and only if \(\Psi\) is homogeneous, i.e. \(\sum_{a\in {\mathcal A}}(\psi_ a(x)-\beta_ a)=x\) on [0,1]. If all maps \(\phi_ a\), \(\psi_ a\) are linear then \(\mu^ 0\) is the Lebesgue measure if and only if \(I_ a=J_ a\) for all \(a\in {\mathcal A}\) (Prop. 6.8), otherwise \(\mu^ 0\) is singular and in both cases the dynamical system \((S,[0,1],\mu^ 0)\) is isomorphic to a Bernoulli shift (theorem 6.7). A self-similar sequence u (associated to a contracting deformation \(\Phi)\) has a distribution function if and only if each letter occurs in \(\epsilon\) with an asymptotic frequency \(\gamma_ a:=\lim_{n\to \infty}n^{-1} card\{1\leq k\leq n\); \(\epsilon_ k=a\}\) (Theorem 7.6). In particular u is uniformly distributed mod 1 if (and only if) for all \(a\in {\mathcal A}\), \(\phi_ a\) is linear and \(\gamma_ a=| I_ a|\). The final part of this paper is devoted to the study of the discrepancy \[ D^*_ N(u):=N^{-1}\sup_{0\leq t<1}| \sum_{n\leq N}1_{[0,t[}(u_ n)-t\quad N | \] of u, which is closely related to deviations of \(\epsilon\), i.e., \[ E_ N(\epsilon,a):=card\{1\leq k\leq N;\quad \epsilon_ k=a\}-N | I_ a|. \] If these quantities remain bounded then \(D^*_ N=O(N^{-1} \log N)\) (Corollary 8.2).