Dimensions of Bedford-McMullen type sets in $\mathbb Z^2$

Abstract

We study forward orbits in $\mathbb Z^2$ generated by the expanding affine maps $(x,y)\mapsto(mx+i,ny+j)$, where $m\ge n\ge2$ are integers and $(i,j)$ ranges over a nonempty digit set $Λ\subseteq\{0,\ldots,m-1\}\times\{0,\ldots,n-1\}$. We obtain explicit formulae for the mass, Beurling, discrete packing, and Assouad dimensions, the discrete Hausdorff dimension and its lower variant, and the lower entropy index. When $m=n$, all these dimensions equal $\log_m\#Λ$. When $m>n$, they can differ, and several depend on the starting point through the sizes of the endpoint columns of $Λ$. The two Hausdorff dimensions coincide and admit a pressure variational formula. Our proofs use finite symbolic models and approximate squares to relate digit counts to coverings in centered windows, translated windows, and annuli. We also characterize invariant lattice sets and determine their dimensions. Finally, we compare the orbit dimensions with semigroup growth and the dimensions of the compact dual attractor. In particular, the mass and Beurling dimensions need not equal the semigroup growth exponent, in contrast to the corresponding one-dimensional theory.