Inverse limits with Markov-type functions (Q2082376)

A continuum is a nonempty, compact and connected metric space. A graph is a continuum which is the union of finitely many arcs, any two of which are either disjoint or intersect only in one or both of their end points. A tree is a graph which contains no simple closed curve. The symbol \(f \colon X \multimap Y\) is used to denote a function \(f\colon X\to 2^Y\), where \(X\) and \(Y\) are compact metric spaces and \(2^Y\) denotes the set of all nonempty closed subsets of \(Y\). Consider a generalized inverse sequence \(\{X_i, f_i\}_{i=1}^\infty\), where the \(X_i\) are compact metric spaces and the \(f_i \colon X_{i+1} \multimap X_i\) are upper semicontinuous functions for each positive integer \(i\). The generalized inverse limit of this inverse sequence is denoted by \(\underset{\circ\!-\!-}{\lim}\{X_i, f_i\}_{i=1}^\infty\). In the paper under review the authors introduce the notion of the Markov-like systems, and use it to define a special kind of Markov-type functions, called Markov-like functions. Then, they define when two given Markov-like functions follow the same pattern, which is a notion partially inspired by Alvin and Kelly's ideas in the paper [\textit{L. Alvin} and \textit{J. P. Kelly}, Topology Appl. 241, 102--114 (2018; Zbl 1401.54016)]. The main result of this paper is to prove that if two inverse sequences of Markov-like functions on trees follow the same pattern, then the corresponding inverse limits are homeomorphic. In symbols: \textbf{Theorem.} Suppose that for each positive integer \(n\), \(T_n\) and \(S_n\) are trees and let \(F_n\colon T_{n+1}\multimap T_n\) and \(G_n\colon S_{n+1}\multimap S_n\) be Markov-like functions. If the inverse sequences \(\{T_n, F_n\}_{n=1}^\infty\) and \(\{S_n, G_n\}_{n=1}^\infty\) follow the same pattern, then the inverse limits \(\underset{\circ\!-\!-}{\lim}\{T_n, F_n\}_{n=1}^\infty\) and \(\underset{\circ\!-\!-}{\lim}\{S_n, G_n\}_{n=1}^\infty\) are homeomorphic.