Affine embeddings of Cantor sets in the plane (Q2177506)

Given a nonempty self-similar set \(F\subseteq\mathbb{R}^2\) generated by an iterated function system \(\Phi\) satisfying the strong separation condition, the author characterizes those affine maps \(g:\mathbb{R}^2\to\mathbb{R}^2\) for which \(g(F)\subseteq F\). In case that the group \(G_\Phi\) generated by the orthogonal parts of the maps in \(\Phi\) has infinite cardinality \(|G_\Phi|\), it is shown that the self-embedding \(g\) is necessarily a similitude. On the other hand, if the cardinality of \(G_\Phi\) is finite and \(\Phi\) is uniformly contracting with contractivity constant \(\lambda\), then the linear part of the embedding \(g\) is diagonalizable and the norm of each of its eigenvalues is a rational power of \(\lambda\). In addition, the author investigates the existence and properties of affine maps \(g\) with the property that \(g(F)\subseteq E\), where \(E\) is another self-similar subset of \(\mathbb{R}^2\) generated by another iterated function system \(\Psi\). More credence is given to the conjecture by Feng, Huang \& Rao, that such an embedding exists only if the contraction ratios of the maps in \(\Phi\) are algebraically dependent on the contraction ratios of the maps in \(\Psi\). Moreover, it is proved that under some mild conditions \(|G_\Phi| = \infty\) implies \(|G_\Psi| = \infty\) and \(|G_\Phi| < \infty\) implies \(|G_\Psi| < \infty\).