The index theorem of topological regular variation and its applications (Q2389252)

A function \(f\) is said to be regularly varying if \(f(\lambda x)/f(x)\) converges as \(x\to\infty\) for each \(\lambda\), and it is know that the convergence is uniform for \(\lambda\) in compact sets under mild regularity conditions on \(f\) [see \textit{N. H. Bingham}, \textit{C. M. Goldie} and \textit{J. L. Teugels}, Regular variation. Encyclopedia of Mathematics and its Applications, 27. Cambridge etc.: Cambridge University Press (1989; Zbl 0667.26003)]. In earlier work, the authors extended this notion and result to the setting of topological dynamics in the following sense. Write \(x\mapsto t(x)\) for a continuous action of a metric group \(T\) on a metric group \(X\) and assume that each \(t\in T\) has \(\| t\|=\sup_{x\in X}d(t(x),x)<\infty\); then \(h:X\to\mathbb R\) is said to be regularly varying in the action space if \(h(t_n(x))/h(x_n)\) converges to some function of \(t\) for every divergent sequence \((x_n)\). Analogously, \(h:X\to\mathbb R\) is regularly varying in the phase space if \(h(t(x))/h(t(e_X))\) converges to some function of \(x\) for any divergent sequence of homeomorphisms \(t\) (this divergence being defined either pointwise or uniformly). The main result shows that either of these limit functions is a homomorphism, and the convergence is uniform on compact sets under mild conditions on \(h\). In this paper the work is developed further to define an index of variation for topological dynamical systems.