Covering numbers: Arithmetics and dynamics for rotations and interval exchanges (Q5943729)

Suppose that \(R_{\alpha}\) is an irrational rotation of the circle. Consider the symbolic expansion of~\(R_{\alpha}\) with respect to the partition \(\{[0,\beta),[\beta ,1)\}\) (as usual the circle is identified with~\([0,1)\)). Then the lengths of \(n\)-cylinders of~\(R_{\alpha}\) are obviously the distances of points of the form \(k\alpha\) or \(\beta +l\alpha\) with \(0\leq k,l\leq n-1\), if \(n\) is large enough. According to the five distance theorem these distances can take at most five different values. The authors relate these distances with the continued fraction approximation of~\(\alpha\). An algorithm is described, which describes the ``best left approximations'' of~\(\beta\) by~\(k\alpha\). Then different kinds of covering numbers are considered. Again some of them are related with the continued fraction approximation of~\(\alpha\). Finally, an interval exchange transformation~\(T\) of three intervals is considered. Results on covering numbers are obtained. Then the authors derive interesting results on~\(T\). For example, if \(T\) is ergodic, then \(T\) has simple spectrum. Some ergodic properties of~\(T\) are again related with the continued fraction approximation of certain parameters of~\(T\).