Invariant distributions in parabolic dynamics (Q6566024)

This is a survey by a leading expert with the overall theme of discussing how Schwartz' theory of distributions has recently come to a play a significant role in the study of smooth dynamical systems. Following a review of the hyperbolic theory and the fundamental role played by local exponential divergence of orbits, the main focus is parabolic systems and the role played by their characteristic polynomial in the divergence of orbits. The main problem explored is rigidity, which in this setting asks if topologically conjugate systems must be smoothly conjugate. This direction is motivated by the profound work of \textit{M. R. Herman} [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 49, 5--233 (1979; Zbl 0448.58019)] and \textit{J.-C. Yoccoz} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 17, 333--359 (1984; Zbl 0595.57027)] in the setting of circle diffeomorphisms and the extent to which they might extend to higher dimensions. Related results and conjectures on the cohomological equations arising, many of them due to the author, are discussed and a general conjecture is formulated that relates rigidity of smoothly stable systems to the space of its invariant distributions. In the homogeneous flow case effective equidistribution results are described, and applications to analytic number theory are discussed.