Expansive measures. Paper from the 29th Brazilian mathematics colloquium -- 29\(^{\text o}\) Colóquio Brasileiro de Matemática, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 22 -- August 2, 2013 (Q2848161)

Let \((X, d)\) be a compact metric space, and let \(f : X \to X\) be a homeomorphism. We say that \(f\) is expansive if there is a constant \(c > 0\) such that \(d(f^n(x), f^n(y)) \leq c\) \((x, y \in X)\) for all \(n \in \mathbb{Z}\) implies \(x = y\). The notion of expansivity has been intensively studied by several researchers, mainly from the topological view point, and lots of important fruitful results were obtained. Nowadays, expansive theory of dynamical systems has been well developed. This notion very often appears in the investigation of qualitative theory of dynamical systems, for instance, stability theory of dynamical systems, and is usually playing an essential role in the investigation.NEWLINENEWLINEThe notion of expansivity also plays an important role in the study of ergodic theory of dynamical systems, for example, the proof of the existence of Markov partitions (for instance, see [\textit{M. Denker} et al., Ergodic theory on compact spaces. Berlin etc.: Springer (1976; Zbl 0328.28008)], among others). In this monograph, the notion of the expansive measures is introduced as a generalization of the notion of expansivity.NEWLINENEWLINELet \(\mu\) be a Borel probability measure on \(X\) which is not necessarily \(f\)-invariant. We say that \(f\) is \textit{measure-expansive} (or simply, \(\mu\)-\textit{expansive}) if there is \(\delta > 0\) such that for any \(x \in X\), \(\mu(\Gamma_\delta(x)) = 0\). Here \(\Gamma_\delta(x) = \{ y \in X : d(f^n(x), f^n(y)) \leq \delta \;\text{for} \;n \in \mathbb{Z} \}\). Note that if a measure \(\mu\) is non-atomic, then every expansive homeomorphism \(f\) is measure-expansive by definition.NEWLINENEWLINELet \(g\) be a Denjoy map on the unit circle \(S^1\); that is, \(g\) is a non-transitive diffeomorphism of \(S^1\) with irrational rotation number. It is well-known that \(g\) is uniquely ergodic and the support of the measure \(\mu\) is a Cantor set. It is shown herewith that every Denjoy map \(g\) of \(S^1\) is \(\mu\)-expansive. The basic properties of measure-expansive homeomorphisms are also studied, and different proofs of the famous results for expansive homeomorphisms are given from a view point of measure theory, for instance, the non-existence of expansive homeomorphisms on the circle (and thus, the above map \(g\) is not expansive).NEWLINENEWLINENow, let us explain the contents of this monograph following its preface.NEWLINENEWLINEIn Chapter 1, the precise definition of expansive measures for homeomorphisms \(f\) is given as well as some basic properties closely related to expansive systems. For instance, it is characterized that the expansive measures are those for which the diagonal is almost invariant for \(f \times f\) with respect to the product measure \(\mu^2\). In addition, it is proved that the set of heteroclinic points has measure zero with respect to any expansive measure. In particular, the set of periodic orbits for these homeomorphisms is also of measure zero for such measures. The authors also prove that there are expansive measures for homeomorphisms in any compact interval and, in the circle, they prove that they exist solely for the Denjoy maps. As an application, probabilistic proofs of some results on expansive systems are obtained.NEWLINENEWLINEIn Chapter 2, the authors analyze the \(n\)-expansive systems which represent a particular (and interesting) example of non-expansive systems for which every non-atomic Borel measure is expansive.NEWLINENEWLINEIn Chapter 3, the class of positively expansive measures is studied and it is proved that every ergodic invariant measure with positive entropy of a continuous map on a compact metric space is positively expansive. The authors use this property to prove, for instance, that the stable classes have measure zero with respect to any ergodic invariant measure with positive entropy. Moreover, continuous maps which either have countably many stable classes or are Lyapunov stable on their recurrent sets have zero topological entropy (those results are also applied to the Li-Yorke chaos).NEWLINENEWLINEFinally, in Chapter 4, the authors extend the notion of expansivity to include measurable maps on measure spaces. Indeed, the authors study countable partitions for measurable maps on measure spaces such that for all points \(x\) the set of points with the same itinerary as \(x\) is negligible. It is proved that in non-atomic probability spaces every strong generator satisfies this property but not conversely. In addition, measurable maps carrying partitions with this property are aperiodic and their corresponding spaces are non-atomic.NEWLINENEWLINEFrom this, the authors obtain a characterization of nonsingular countable-to-one mappings with these partitions on non-atomic Lebesgue probability spaces as those having strong generators. Furthermore, maps carrying these partitions include the ergodic measure-preserving ones with positive entropy on probability spaces (thus extending a result by \textit{B. Cadre} and \textit{P. Jacob} [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 309, No. 1, 375--382 (2005; Zbl 1089.28011)]).NEWLINENEWLINE Applications of the results are given. At the end of each chapter some exercises are presented of varying difficulty. Some basics of dynamical systems, ergodic theory and measure theory are recommended for the comprehension of this text.