On minimal decomposition of \(p\)-adic polynomial dynamical systems (Q643430)

Let \(f(x)\in \mathbb{Z}_p[x]\) be a polynomial of degree at least 2. In studying the dynamics of \(f:\mathbb{Z}_p\to\mathbb{Z}_p\), one is led naturally to study the minimal components of \(f\), that is, sets invariant under \(f\) which cannot be decomposed into smaller such sets. The first result of this paper is that, given any \(f\) as above, there is a decomposition \(\mathbb{Z}_p=A\sqcup B\sqcup C\), where \(A\) is a finite set of periodic orbits; \(B\) is a disjoint union of at most countably many clopen invariant sets which are minimal for \(f\); and each point in \(C\) is attracted to a periodic orbit or minimal set. The authors then set about describing this decomposition more precisely in the case of quadratic polynomial maps over \(\mathbb{Z}_2\), giving an exhaustive description via intricate calculations. The results in this paper are related to earlier results of \textit{D. L. DesJardins} and \textit{M. E. Zieve} [``Polynomial mappings mod \(p^n\)'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:math/0103046}], and of \textit{T. Pezda} [Acta Arith. 66, No. 1, 11--22 (1994; Zbl 0803.11063)].