The dynamics of complex polynomials and automorphisms of the shift (Q806124)

The authors study the dynamics of those monic, centered polynomials of degree \(d\geq 2\), who belong to the set of the shift-like polynomials. These are characterized by the property that each critical point escapes to \(\infty\) which implies the corresponding Julia set to be a Cantor set. The dynamics of such a polynomial when restricted to the Julia set is conjugated to the one-sided shift on d symbols which acts on the space \(\Sigma_ d\) of semi-infinite sequences with entries from an alphabet of d symbols. This motivates the study of the automorphism group \(Aut_ d\) consisting of the homeomorphisms of \(\Sigma_ d\) commuting with the shift. For \(d>2\) these groups are infinitely generated but there exists an efficient set of generators, the so-called minimal marker automorphisms. The bridge between the shift-like polynomials and \(Aut_ d\) relies on the following fact: Since the Julia set varies continuously as one changes the polynomials within \(S_ d\) a closed loop in \(S_ d\) induces an automorphism of \(\Sigma_ d\) by following corresponding points. This defines a map \(\Theta\) : \(\pi\) \({}_ 1(S_ d)\to Aut_ d\) which is proved to be surjective. The authors make intensive use of two basic constructions. The first one involves ``spinning the lowest critical value'' which generates loops in \(S_ d\) producing minimal marker automorphisms. By deforming the polynomial the second construction produces a tree whose vertices correspond to those polynomials to which the spinning construction is applied.