Self-similar subsets of the Cantor set (Q2354382)

The middle-third Cantor set, \(C\), is one of the most well-known examples of self-similar sets and has uncountably many non-trivial self-similar subsets. In 1998, Mattila wondered about the type of self-similar subsets of the set \(C\). The authors of the present paper study these subsets and provide criteria for a complete classification. One of the main results shows that for any non-trivial self-similar subset \(F\) of \(C\) every linear generating iterated function system of \(F\) must consist of similitudes with contraction ratio \(3^{-n}\) or \(-3^{-n}\) where \(n\in\mathbb{N}\). They also formulate a simple criterion to characterize self-similar subsets of \(C\) with equal contraction ratio in modulus. Finally, some of the main results are generalized.