Fractal properties of number systems (Q5948334)

Let \(B\) be an \(n\times n\) matrix with integral coefficients and assume that all its eigenvalues lie outside the unit disc. Let \(0\in {\mathcal N} \subset \mathbb Z^n\) be a complete residue system \(\bmod B\). If \[ \mathbb Z^n=\Bigl\{\sum_jB^ja_j:\;a_j\in{\mathcal N}\Bigr\} \] then the pair \((B,{\mathcal N})\) is called a number system in \(\mathbb Z^n\). The fundamental domain \(F\) of such a system is defined by \[ F=\Bigl\{\sum_jB^{-j}a_j:\;a_j\in {\mathcal N}\Bigr\}. \] The authors study the boundary \(\delta F\) of \(F\) and prove that its Hausdorff dimension is always finite and positive. Actually their results apply to a more general class of pairs \((B,{\mathcal N})\), called ``just touching covering systems'', characterized by the property that the intersection of two shifts of \(F\) by points of \(\mathbb Z^n\) is of zero measure. Applications to canonical number systems in imaginary quadratic fields, introduced by \textit{I. Kátai} and \textit{J. Szabó} [Acta Sci. Math. 37, 255-260 (1975; Zbl 0309.12001)], are also given.