On iterative roots of injective functions (Q6562883)

Let \(g:E \to E\), where \(E\) is an arbitrary set, and let \(q\ge 2\) be an integer. If there is a function \(f:E \to E\) such that \(f^q(x)=g(x)\) for all \(x \in E\), it is called a \(q\)-\textit{iterative root} of \(g\).\N\NConditions for the existence of a \(q\)-iterative root have been found by \textit{S. Łojasiewicz} [Ann. Soc. Polon. Math. 24, 88--91 (1952; Zbl 0047.11401)] in the case when \(g\) is bijective, while \textit{G. Zimmermann} [Über die Existenz iterativer Wurzeln von Abbildungen. Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät der Philipps-Universität Marburg/Lahn. III, 46 S. (1979; Zbl 0453.39002)] extended those results to the most general case. Zimmermann's result is given in term of orbits. For \(x,y \in E\), we write \(x \sim_f y\) if there exist non negative integers \(m\) and \(n\) such that \(f^m(x)=f^n(y)\). Clearly \(\sim_f\) is an equivalence relation and its equivalence classes are called \textit{orbits} of the function \(f\). The conditions required in Zimmermann's results are not very easy to be verified and the authors of the present paper extend Łojasiewicz's result to the case when \(g\) is only injective and provide a construction for obtaining all iterative roots.\N\NThis long and complex paper contains a summary of known results. The construction of iterative roots is divided in the three possible cases for the orbits of \(g\): cyclic, doubly infinite and singly infinite.