PM functions, their characteristic intervals and iterative roots (Q4337525)

Let \(N(F)\) denote the number of non-monotone points of a continuous strictly piecewise monotone (PM) function \(F:I= [a,b]\to I\) and let \(H(F)= \min\{k\geq 1: N(F^k)= N(F^{k+1})\}\), where \(F^1=F\) and \(F^{k+1}=F\circ F^k\). An interval \([a',b']\subset I\) is called the characteristic interval of \(F\) iff (i) \(a'\) and \(b'\) are either non-monotone points of \(F\) or endpoints of \(I\), (ii) there are no non-monotone points inside \((a',b')\), (iii) \([m,M]\subset [a',b']\), where \(m=\inf F\), \(M=\sup F\). The author proved that \(F\) has no continuous iterative roots of order \(n\) for \(n>N(F)\) in the case \(H(F)>1\). Furthermore, the author establishes the relations between the existence of continuous iterative roots and the behaviour of \(F\) with \(H(F)\leq 1\), on its characteristic interval.