arXiv subjects

Pierre Arnoux

Publications and source records attributed to Pierre Arnoux.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

An elegant model of the geodesic flow on the modular surface

Caroline Series' [{\em The modular surface and continued fractions}, J. Lond. Math. Soc. (2), {\bf 31}, no.~1, (1985), 69--80] gives a clear framework linking, in a deceptively simple way, the dynamics of the geodesic flow on the modular surface with the dynamics of the regular continued fraction, through a well-chosen symbolic coding. It has been called {\em required reading} for those interested in the symbolic dynamics of geodesic flows, and has had consequences in symbolic dynamics, ergodic theory, hyperbolic geometry, and continued fraction theory. In this overview, we give an indication of why this is so, sketch some of the history related to the paper, and also point to some later works.

math.DS↗

arXiv2025

Nonstationary Markov Partitions and Multidimensional Continued Fraction Algorithms

It is well known from results of Sina\u{\i} and Bowen that a hyperbolic toral automorphism admits a Markov partition. Our aim is to generalize this concept to the nonstationary case, i.e., we associate Markov partitions to nonstationary sequences of toral automorphisms. Special emphasis is placed on sequences of toral automorphisms produced by strongly convergent multidimensional continued fraction algorithms. The convergence of the algorithms is expressed in terms of a Pisot type condition which yields hyperbolicity for the nonstationary dynamics with a splitting into two subspaces of dimension 1 and codimension 1, respectively. For a multidimensional continued fraction map, we first consider its natural extension, whose orbits are given by bi-infinite sequences of matrices with determinant $\pm 1$. The Pisot type condition allows us to interpret an orbit of this natural extension as an Anosov mapping family, i.e., as a bi-infinite sequence of toral automorphisms with well-defined stable and unstable manifolds. We prove that this Anosov mapping family admits a bi-infinite sequence of explicit nonstationary Markov partitions. To obtain the atoms of the Markov partitions, a combinatorial structure, expressed in terms of symbolic dynamical systems, namely substitutive and $\mathcal{S}$-adic shifts, has to be superimposed on the Anosov mapping family. In particular, the atoms of the Markov partitions are geometric realizations of $\mathcal{S}$-adic shifts, defined by suspensions of so-called $\mathcal{S}$-adic Rauzy fractals. These Markov partitions then provide a symbolic model as a nonstationary edge shift for the Anosov mapping family. Restacking of the Markov partition yields a renormalization process that allows us to interpret a multidimensional continued fraction algorithm as a sequence of iteratively induced toral rotations.

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arXiv2021

Uniform simplicity for subgroups of piecewise continuous bijections of the unit interval

Let $I=[0,1)$ and $\mathcal{PC}(I)$ [resp. $\mathcal{PC}^+(I)$] be the quotient group of the group of all piecewise continuous [resp. piecewise continuous and orientation preserving] bijections of $I$ by its normal subgroup consisting in elements with finite support (i.e. that are trivial except at possibly finitely many points). Unpublished Theorems of Arnoux ([Arn81b]) state that $\mathcal{PC}^+(I)$ and certain groups of interval exchanges are simple, their proofs are the purpose of the Appendix. Dealing with piecewise direct affine maps, we prove the simplicity of the group $\mathcal A^+(I)$ (see Definition 1.6). These results can be improved. Indeed, a group $G$ is uniformly simple if there exists a positive integer $N$ such that for any $f,\phi \in G\setminus\{Id\}$, the element $\phi$ can be written as a product of at most $N$ conjugates of $f$ or $f^{-1}$. We provide conditions which guarantee that a subgroup $G$ of $\mathcal{PC}(I)$ is uniformly simple. As Corollaries, we obtain that $\mathcal{PC}(I)$, $\mathcal{PC}^+(I)$, $PL^+ (\mathbb S^1)$, $\mathcal A(I)$, $\mathcal A^+(I)$ and some Thompson like groups included the Thompson group $T$ are uniformly simple.

math.GR↗

arXiv2019

Arnoux-Rauzy interval exchange transformations

The Arnoux-Rauzy systems are defined in \cite{ar}, both as symbolic systems on three letters and exchanges of six intervals on the circle. In connection with a conjecture of S.P. Novikov, we investigate the dynamical properties of the interval exchanges, and precise their relation with the symbolic systems, which was known only to be a semi-conjugacy; in order to do this, we define a new system which is an exchange of nine intervals on the line (it was described in \cite{abb} for a particular case). Our main result is that the semi-conjugacy determines a measure-theoretic isomorphism (between the three systems) under a diophantine (sufficient) condition, which is satisfied by almost all Arnoux-Rauzy systems for a suitable measure; but, under another condition, the interval exchanges are not uniquely ergodic and the isomorphism does not hold for all invariant measures; finally, we give conditions for these interval exchanges to be weakly mixing.

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arXiv2017

Natural extensions and Gauss measures for piecewise homographic continued fractions

We give a heuristic method to solve explicitly for an absolutely continuous invariant measure for a piecewise differentiable, expanding map of a compact subset $I$ of Euclidean space $R^d$. The method consists of constructing a skew product family of maps on $I\times R^d$, which has an attractor. Lebesgue measure is invariant for the skew product family restricted to this attractor. Under reasonable measure theoretic conditions, integration over the fibers gives the desired measure on $I$. Furthermore, the attractor system is then the natural extension of the original map with this measure. We illustrate this method by relating it to various results in the literature.

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arXiv2016

On a property discovered by Xavier Grandsart

We give a simple proof of the property discovered by Xavier Grandsart: let $W$ be a circular binary word; then the differences in the number of occurences $|W|_{0011}-|W|_{1100}$, $ |W|_{1101}-|W|_{1011}$ , $|W|_{1010}-|W|_{0101}$ and $|W|_{0100}-|W|_{0010}$ are equal.

math.CO↗

arXiv2015

On some symmetric multidimensional continued fraction algorithms

We compute explicitly the density of the invariant measure for the Reverse algorithm which is absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure, using a method proposed by Arnoux and Nogueira. We also apply the same method on the unsorted version of Brun algorithm and Cassaigne algorithm. We illustrate some experimentations on the domain of the natural extension of those algorithms. For some other algorithms, which are known to have a unique invariant measure absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure, the invariant domain found by this method seems to have a fractal boundary, and it is unclear that it is of positive measure.

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arXiv2013

Commensurable continued fractions

We compare two families of continued fractions algorithms, the symmetrized Rosen algorithm and the Veech algorithm. Each of these algorithms expands real numbers in terms of certain algebraic integers. We give explicit models of the natural extension of the maps associated with these algorithms; prove that these natural extensions are in fact conjugate to the first return map of the geodesic flow on a related surface; and, deduce that, up to a conjugacy, almost every real number has an infinite number of common approximants for both algorithms.

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arXiv2013

Random product of substitutions with the same incidence matrix

Any infinite sequence of substitutions with the same matrix of the Pisot type defines a symbolic dynamical system which is minimal. We prove that, to any such sequence, we can associate a compact set (Rauzy fractal) by projection of the stepped line associated with an element of the symbolic system on the contracting space of the matrix. We show that this Rauzy fractal depends continuously on the sequence of substitutions, and investigate some of its properties; in some cases, this construction gives a geometric model for the symbolic dynamical system.

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arXiv2012

Cross sections for geodesic flows and α-continued fractions

We adjust Arnoux's coding, in terms of regular continued fractions, of the geodesic flow on the modular surface to give a cross section on which the return map is a double cover of the natural extension for the α-continued fractions, for each $α$ in (0,1]. The argument is sufficiently robust to apply to the Rosen continued fractions and their recently introduced α-variants.

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arXiv2009

Veech surfaces with non-periodic directions in the trace field

We show that each of Veech's original examples of translation surfaces with ``optimal dynamics'' whose trace field is of degree greater than two has non-periodic directions of vanishing SAF-invariant. Furthermore, we give explicit examples of pseudo-Anosov diffeomorphisms whose contracting direction has zero SAF-invariant.

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arXiv2007

Sturm numbers and substitution invariance of 3iet words

In this paper, we give a necessary condition for an infinite word defined by a non-degenerate interval exchange on three intervals (3iet word) to be invariant by a substitution: a natural parameter associated to this word must be a Sturm number. We deduce some algebraic consequences from this condition concerning the incidence matrix of the associated substitution. As a by-product of our proof, we give a combinatorial characterization of 3iet words.

math.CO↗