Questions tagged [ergodic-theory]
Dynamical systems on measure spaces, invariant measures, ergodic averages, mixing properties.
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Does anyone know an intuitive proof of the Birkhoff ergodic theorem?
For many standard, well-understood theorems the proofs have been streamlined to the point where you just need to understand the proof once and you remember the general idea forever. At this point I ...
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0
answers
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Alternating colors on a line: infinitely often or converge?
Suppose we have intervals of alternating color on $\mathbb{R}$ (say, red / blue / red / blue / …). All intervals have independent length, with all red intervals distributed as $\mathbb{P}_{R}$, all ...
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Does there exist a shot in ideal pocket billiards?
Assume you have one shot with the cue ball in pocket billiards (a.k.a. pool), with
the game idealized in that no spin is placed on the cue ball in
the initial shot, all collisions between billiard ...
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2
answers
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Ergodic Theorem and Nonstandard Analysis
Here is a quote from Lectures on Ergodic Theory by Halmos:
I cannot resist the temptation of
concluding these comments with an
alternative "proof" of the ergodic
theorem. If $f$ is a complex ...
29
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3
answers
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Improving a sequence of 1s and -1s
Suppose you take a $\pm 1$ sequence and you want to "improve it" by taking pointwise limits of translates. What properties can you guarantee to get in the limit?
Two examples illustrate what I think ...
29
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answer
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Furstenberg's Conjecture on 2-3-invariant continuous probability measures on the circle
Hillel Furstenberg conjectured that the only $2$-$3$-invariant probability measure on the circle without atoms is the Lebesgue measure. More precisely:
Question: (Furstenberg) Let $\mu$ be a ...
27
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10
answers
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Book recommendation for ergodic theory and/or topological dynamics?
Hello,
I'd like to hear your opinion for ergodic theory books which would suit a beginner (with background in measure theory, real analysis and topological groups). I am looking for something well ...
27
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answers
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Blocking light with mirrored convex objects
There is a long-unsolved problem posed by Janos Pach,
sometimes known as the enchanted forest problem,
which asks if it is possible to block a point light source
in the plane
from reaching
infinity by ...
26
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3
answers
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Who first proved ergodicity of irrational rotations of the circle?
It is a classic result that the irrational rotations of the circle are ergodic. Formally, let $T:\mathbb{T}\to \mathbb{T}$ be defined by $Tz=ze^{2\pi i\alpha}$. If $\alpha$ is irrational, then $T$ is ...
26
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For $x$ irrational, is $a_{n} =\sum_{k=1}^{n}(-1)^{⌊kx⌋}$ unbounded?
For $x$ irrational, define $a_{n} :=\sum_{k=1}^{n}(-1)^{⌊kx⌋}$. Can you prove that $\left\{a_n\right\}$ is unbounded?
I feel that it is not easy to treat every irrational $x$.
I have asked in S.E. ...
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answers
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Proof of Krylov-Bogoliubov theorem
Where can I find a proof (in English) of the Krylov-Bogoliubov theorem, which states if $X$ is a compact metric space and $T\colon X \to X$ is continuous, then there is a $T$-invariant Borel ...
24
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2
answers
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Billiard dynamics for multiple balls
I am interested to learn to what extent results on billiards
in polygons have been extended to multiple balls.
Assume the balls have equal radii and the same mass,
the same initial speed, and all
...
23
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12
answers
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Importance of Poincaré recurrence theorem? Any example?
Recently I am learning ergodic theory and reading several books about it.
Usually Poincaré recurrence theorem is stated and proved before ergodicity and ergodic theorems. But ergodic theorem does not ...
23
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1
answer
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Time averages and differentiability
Let $\varphi_t : M \rightarrow M$ be a smooth flow on a smooth manifold $M$. We may assume (although I'm not sure if this is important) that the flow preserves a smooth volume form on $M$. Given a ...
22
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3
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Distribution of the Error term in GH Hardy's "curious result" $\sum_{\nu \leq n } \{ \nu \theta \}^2 = \tfrac{1}{12} n + O(1)$
In an early paper, GH Hardy talks about the distribution of "curious" sum:
$$ \sum_{\nu \leq n } \{ \nu \theta \}^2 = \tfrac{1}{12} n + O(1)$$
where $\{x\}:=x-\left \lfloor x \right \rfloor -1/2$. ...
22
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6
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Quantitative versions of ergodic theorem
Are there any general theorems similar to Birkhoff's ergodic theorem, but giving quantitative estimates on the rate of convergence or average time of recurrence (perhaps with additional assumptions)? ...
22
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1
answer
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Possible limits of $(1/n) \sum_{k=0}^{n-1} e^{i2\pi \cdot 2^k\alpha}$
I made a throwaway comment on math stackexchange the other day that got me thinking about the following question. Let
$$ f_n (\alpha) = \frac1n \sum_{k=0}^{n-1} e(2^k\alpha),$$
where $e(x) = \exp(i2\...
21
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3
answers
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Central Limit Theorem(s) for irrational rotation
Let $\alpha$ be irrational and $T: S^1 \rightarrow S^1$ be the rotation by $\alpha$. I'm interested in what type of Central Limit Theorem (if any) can hold for sums $Y_n = \frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}\sum_{k=1}^...
21
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1
answer
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Roadmap to Ergodic Theory
I have recently been interested in going deeper into ergodic theory, beyond an introductory level of knowledge. Background wise, my training has mostly been in stochastic analysis, and I have a ...
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Iterated Circumcircle
Take three noncollinear points (a,b,c), compute the center of their circumcircle x, and replace a random one of a,b,c with x. Repeat. It seems this process may converge to a point, assuming no ...
20
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1
answer
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Generic points and local entropies
Let $X=\{1,\dots,p\}^\mathbb{N}$ be the space of sequences on a finite alphabet with a metric inducing the product topology, and let $\sigma\colon X\to X$ be the shift map. Let $\mu$ be a $\sigma$-...
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Connection between properties of dynamical and ergodic systems
While studying topological and ergodic dynamics, I've got quite perplexed by the different properties a system might have (minimality, regionally recurring, transitivity, mixing, ergodic, uniquely ...
18
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3
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Applications of and motivation for von Neumann's mean ergodic theorem
I stated von Neumann's mean ergodic theorem (VNMET) in a talk recently and someone in the audience asked what it was good for. The only application I knew of VNMET was to prove Birkhoff's ergodic ...
18
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2
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Reference request: Geodesic flow on a manifold with negative curvature is ergodic
I'm reading about the Mostow's rigidity theorem, and the proof uses the following (maybe well-known) result:
The geodesic flow on a manifold with negative curvature is ergodic.
The lecture note that ...
18
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3
answers
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Ergodic limits along subsets of $\mathbb{N}.$
Let say that an infinite subsets $A$ of $\mathbb{N}$ is "nice w.r.to ergodic limits", if it can replace $\mathbb{N}$ in the individual ergodic theorem, that is, if it is such that the following ...
18
votes
0
answers
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Trapping lightrays with segment mirrors
Q. Is it possible to trap all the light from one point source by a finite collection of two-sided disjoint segment mirrors?
I posed this question in several forums before (e.g., here
and in an ...
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5
answers
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Category Theory and Ergodic Theory
I am very much interested in finding out about any category theoretical work on dynamical systems and on ergodic theory. On the face of it, it seems that a categorical language can go a long way, at ...
17
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1
answer
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Rokhlin lemma for arbitrary infinite groups.
Let $G$ be an at most countable discrete group acting freely on a standard probability measure space $X$ in a measure preserving way.
It is well known that if $G$ is a finite group then this action ...
16
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2
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Random walk is to diffusion as self-avoiding random walk is to ...?
One can view a random walk as a discrete process whose continuous
analog is diffusion.
For example, discretizing the heat diffusion equation
(in both time and space) leads to random walks.
Is there a ...
16
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3
answers
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A random walk on random lines
I am wondering if this random walk remains finite with positive probability.
Start with three lines $A,B,C$ that are extensions of an equilateral triangle.
Let $p_0$ be one corner. Generate a line $...
16
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3
answers
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What are some interesting examples of non-classical dynamical systems? (Group action other than $\mathbb{Z}$ or $\mathbb{R}$ )
By classical dynamical system, I mean a measure space together with a measurable action of the integers or the reals. Of course, this action is often interpreted as evolution with respect to discrete ...
16
votes
1
answer
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A Rokhlin lemma with a prescribed height function?
Let $T$ be a ergodic automorphism of a non-atomic Lebesgue probability space $(X, \mathcal{A}, \mu)$.
The celebrated Rokhlin tower lemma says that given an integer $n>0$ and $0 < \epsilon < ...
15
votes
3
answers
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A metric for Grassmannians
I'm reading an article by Ricardo Mañé, "The Hausdorff dimension of horseshoes of diffeomorphisms of surfaces" (https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02585431). I'm having a technical problem. Sorry for ...
15
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2
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Is the following series consisting of equally distributed $\pm 1$ bounded?
Apologise in advance if this problem isn't research-level (I'm quite certain it isn't). It's just I found it quite intriguing because it turned out to be much more subtle than it appeared at my first ...
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Are rounded rectangle billiard dynamics ergodic?
Bunimovich proved that the billiard-ball dynamics in the Bunimovich stadium is ergodic.
(Image from Microwave_billiards_and_quantum_chaos.)...
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3
answers
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Alternative proofs of the Krylov-Bogolioubov theorem
The Krylov-Bogolioubov theorem is a fundamental result in the ergodic theory of dynamical systems which is typically stated as follows: if $T$ is a continuous transformation of a nonempty compact ...
15
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1
answer
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Uniform distribution of points on Riemannian manifolds
Recently, I came across a beautiful paper by Arnol'd and Krylov (Uniform distribution of points on a sphere...) that contains the following theorem:
Theorem: Let A and B be two rotations of the ...
15
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1
answer
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Krein Milman theorem without the axiom of choice
The Krein-Milman theorem asserts that in a locally convex topological vector space, a nonvoid compact convex subset is the closed convex envelope of its extreme points. But I would like to know when ...
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Furstenberg $\times 2 \times 3$ conjecture, bibliography
Furstenberg $\times 2 \times 3$ original conjecture states that the unique continuous invariant probability measure for $2x$ mod $1$ and $3x$ mod $1$ is the Lebesgue measure.
I wanted to have a ...
14
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5
answers
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What are the zero entropy invariant measures for an Anosov geodesic flow?
Let $M$ be the double-torus with a hyperbolic Riemannian metric. The geodesic flow on the unit tangent bundle $T^1M$ has many invariant Borel probability measures. In particular there are closed ...
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6
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Examples of transformations which are weak-mixing but not strong-mixing
I was reminded of this topic by some of the answers to this question, where it was noted that "typical" measure-preserving transformations are weak-mixing but not strong-mixing for several senses of "...
14
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1
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Almost all non-negative real numbers have only finitely many multiples lying in a measurable set with finite measure
Let $A$ be Lebesgue measurable subset of $[0,\infty)$ such that Lebesgue measure of $A$ is positive i.e. $0<\lambda(A)<\infty$. Let $S$ be the set defined as follows:
$$S:=\{t\in [0,\infty):nt\...
14
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2
answers
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Is there a square with all corner points on the spiral $r=k\theta$, $0 \leq \theta \leq \infty$?
I've posted this question on Math Stack Exchange, but I want to bring it here too, because 1) the proof seems missing in the literature, although they are some sporadic mentions and 2) maybe it ...
13
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3
answers
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Has dynamics on $G/\Gamma$ ever been used to prove interesting things about $\Gamma$?
Fix a Lie group $G$ and a discrete subgroup $\Gamma \subset G$. Homogeneous dynamics is about studying the actions of subgroups $H \subset G$ on the quotient $G/\Gamma$.
Does anyone know of an ...
13
votes
1
answer
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Entropy of composition
I asked this at math.stackexchange.com, but got no answers.
Let $(X,B,\mu)$ be a probability space. Let $T,S:X→X$ be two measurable measure preserving maps that commute (i.e $TS=ST$). Let $A$ be a (...
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2
answers
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Connectedness of space of ergodic measures
Let $X = \Sigma_p^+ = \{1,\dots,p\}^\mathbb{N}$ and let $f=\sigma\colon X\to X$ be the shift map. Let $\mathcal{M}$ be the space of Borel $f$-invariant probability measures on $X$ endowed with the ...
13
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Closure of the orbits of the $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$-action on $\mathbb{R}^2$
I'm coming with a very basic question for which I can't find an answer. Please forgive me if I didn't search efficiently enough.
What can the closure of an orbit of an element $X$ of $\mathbb{R}^2$ ...
13
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2
answers
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What time does it take for irrational rotations to hit an interval?
Hi,
Consider $\theta_n = (\theta_0 + n \theta) \mod 1$, $\theta$ being an irrational number, and $\theta_0$ an uniform random variable in $(0,1)$. Is there any estimates for the time it will take ...
13
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1
answer
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Different uses of the word "ergodic"
There appear to be two definitions of the word ergodic.
The dynamical systems definition says that a measure space $(X,\mathit B, \mu)$ and measure preserving transformation $T: X \mapsto X$ is ...
13
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2
answers
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Non-integrable ergodic theory
Can anyone help me out with proofs/counterexamples? I'm working on an operator-valued multiplicative ergodic theorem and need what may(?) be a well-known fact. This fact (if true) would help me get ...