Computer-assisted proof of loss of ergodicity by symmetry breaking in expanding coupled maps (Q2291629)

The author's main question is the following: can chaotic attractors in deterministic analogues of random models of interacting particles systems exhibit ergodicity breaking (associated with symmetry breaking)? To answer to this question he studies the dynamics of a family of \(N\) coupled expanding circle maps in a parameter regime where absolutely continuous invariant measures are known to exist. Let \(F_{N,\epsilon}\) be a family of piecewise affine mappings of the \(N\)-dimensional torus \(\mathbb{T}^{N}\). The mappings \(F_{N,\epsilon}\) are defined as follows: \((F_{N,\epsilon}(u))_{i}=2u_{i}+\frac{2\epsilon}{N}\sum_{j=1}^{N} g(u_{j}-u_{i}) \;\text{mod}\; 1\), \(1\leq i\leq N\), where \(g\) represents pairwise elastic interactions on the circle and is defined by \(g(u) = u- h(u)\) for all \(u\in \mathbb{T}^{1}\) with \(h(u)=\lfloor u+\frac{1}{2} \rfloor\) if \(u\notin \frac{1}{2}+\mathbb{Z}\), \(h(u)=0\), \(u\in \frac{1}{2}+\mathbb{Z}\). Here, \(\lfloor . \rfloor\) is the floor function. The mappings \(F_{N,\epsilon}\) are non-singular, have many symmetries and are expanding for \(\epsilon<\frac{1}{2}\). The dynamics is not expanding at \(\epsilon=\frac{1}{2}\). To evaluate ergodicity or its failure for \(\epsilon\) close to \(\frac{1}{2}\), the author uses numerical methods. An empirical evidence is given in favour of the symmetry breaking of the ergodic components upon increase in the coupling strength, thus suggesting that the loss of ergodicity should occur for every integer \(N>2\). The iterates of orbits starting from representative initial conditions, and their images under symmetries, are plotted for \(\epsilon\in [0, \frac{1}{2})\). The reduced mappings \(G_{D,\epsilon}\) have equivalent features to the original mappings \(F_{N,\epsilon}\). For instance, their symmetry group is isomorphic to \(\mathbb{Z}_{2}\times\Pi_{D+1}\). Moreover, their asymptotic dynamics for \(\epsilon\in [0, \frac{1}{2})\) must also lie in finitely many ergodic components of positive Lebesgue measure. The author uses a computer-assisted proof using large \(D\) (or \(N\)). An algorithm allows him to rigorously construct asymmetric \(G_{D,\epsilon}\)-invariant sets containing absolutely continuous invariant measures. Due to the rapid growth of the required computational resources, the algorithm successfully terminates for small values of \(N\). It is mentioned that the algorithm consists in applying repeated iterations of \(G_{D,\epsilon}\) to an asymmetric initial polytope. The results of the algorithmic construction are provided for \(D\) up to 5. They clearly indicate that ergodicity breaking should be provable for arbitrary \(D\). A discussion about possible improvements and alternative proofs is provided in the rest of the paper. In the appendices, the author provides details of many results as well as an algorithm for Invariant Asymmetric Union of Polytopes (InAsUP) construction (Code in C). They also give statistics about InAsUP cardinality and related CPU computation times.