Binary tree approach to scaling in unimodal maps (Q1897032)

A traditional way of coding the dynamics of unimodal maps is by the way of kneading sequences, also known as MSS sequences. The authors present an alternative and original method, reminiscent of the ``Farey tree'' approach to organizing rotation numbers. The nodes of the tree contain finite sequences that correspond to unimodal mappings with a periodic critical point. The authors discuss combinatorial properties of their representation, showing that in most cases the length of sequences grows only arithmetically as one moves down a branch, though geometric growth is also possible, in particular along the branch limiting on the widely studied Fibonacci unimodal map. Next, they study scaling properties along the branches. This is done mostly by numerical experiments. They found double geometric or geometric laws, universal in some cases. These scaling laws depend on the degree of the critical point. As a comment, I would like to point to some work on circle maps, particularly circle endomorphisms with a flat piece. Double-geometric scaling was first discovered there, in some cases with rigorous proofs, as well as the dependence of the scaling laws on the degree of degeneracy of the derivative was studied in those cases before similar ideas were applied to the Fibonacci unimodal map. See: \textit{F. M. Tangerman} and \textit{J. J. P. Veerman}, Commun. Math. Phys. 141, No. 2, 279-291 (1991; Zbl 0747.58023); see also \textit{J. Graczyk} et al, Commun. Math. Phys. 173, 599-622 (1995).