Most interval exchanges have no roots (Q1630360)

An $m$-interval exchange transformation ($m$-IET) is a bijective map $T: [0,1)\to[0,1)$ defined by partitioning the unit interval $[0,1)$ into $m$ (non-degenerated) subintervals and the rearranging these subintervals by translations. Recall that an IET $T$ is said to be minimal if for each $x\in [0,1)$, the orbit $\mathcal{O}_T(x)=\{T^n(x): n\in\mathbb{Z}\}$ is dense in $[0,1)$, and of rotation type if there exists a $\alpha\in\mathbb{R}$ such that $T(x)=x+\alpha\pmod 1$ for all $x\in [0,1)$. \par The $n$-fold compositions $T\circ T\dotsb\circ T$ is denoted by $T^n$. We will say that $T$ has an $n$-th root if there exists some $S$ such that $T=S^n$. \par One of the main results is as follows. \par Theorem: Let $T$ be a minimal IET which is not of rotation type. If the lengths of the exchanged subintervals are linearly independent over $\mathbb{Q}$, then $T$ does not have an $n$-th IET root for any $n\geq 2$. \par For minimal $3$-IETs, the author obtain the following stronger result. \par Theorem: If $T$ is a minimal $3$-IET which is not of rotation type, then $T$ has an $n$-th IET root for some $n\geq 2$ if and only if $T$ fails to satisfy Keane's infinite distinct orbit condition. \par The author also gives a classification (up to conjugacy) of those minimal interval exchange transformations whose discontinuities all belong to a single orbit.