The prime orbit theorem for quasihyperbolic toral automorphisms (Q1180718)

For an automorphism \(S\) of the \(N\)-torus which is ergodic, but not necessarily hyperbolic, we derive an asymptotic formula for the number of closed orbits by analogy with the Prime Number Theorem. More precisely, if \(\tau\) denotes a generic prime closed orbit of \(S\), with least period \(\lambda(\tau)\), and \(h\) is the topological entropy of \(S\) then \[ \hbox{card}\{\tau:\lambda(\tau)\leq x\}\sim {e^{h(x+1)}\over x} E(x) \] as \(x\to\infty\) through the positive integers. The function \(E:\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{R}^ +\) is an explicit almost periodic function, bounded away from zero and infinity. A new proof of the uniform distribution of periodic points is given using techniques from group theory.