This self-contained monograph presents a unified exposition of the thermodynamic formalism and some of its main extensions, with emphasis on the relation to dimension theory and multifractal analysis of dynamical systems. In particular, the book considers three different flavors of the thermodynamic formalism, namely nonadditive, subadditive, and almost additive, and provides a detailed discussion of some of the most significant results in the area, some of them quite recent. It also includes a discussion of the most substantial applications of these flavors of the thermodynamic formalism to dimension theory and multifractal analysis of dynamical systems.

This volume arose from a semester at CIRM-Luminy on “Thermodynamic Formalism: Applications to Probability, Geometry and Fractals” which brought together leading experts in the area to discuss topical problems and recent progress. It includes a number of surveys intended to make the field more accessible to younger mathematicians and scientists wishing to learn more about the area. Thermodynamic formalism has been a powerful tool in ergodic theory and dynamical system and its applications to other topics, particularly Riemannian geometry (especially in negative curvature), statistical properties of dynamical systems and fractal geometry. This work will be of value both to graduate students and more senior researchers interested in either learning about the main ideas and themes in thermodynamic formalism, and research themes which are at forefront of research in this area.

Reissued in the Cambridge Mathematical Library this classic book outlines the theory of thermodynamic formalism which was developed to describe the properties of certain physical systems consisting of a large number of subunits. It is aimed at mathematicians interested in ergodic theory, topological dynamics, constructive quantum field theory, the study of certain differentiable dynamical systems, notably Anosov diffeomorphisms and flows. It is also of interest to theoretical physicists concerned with the conceptual basis of equilibrium statistical mechanics. The level of the presentation is generally advanced, the objective being to provide an efficient research tool and a text for use in graduate teaching. Background material on mathematics has been collected in appendices to help the reader. Extra material is given in the form of updates of problems that were open at the original time of writing and as a new preface specially written for this new edition by the author.

The principles of symmetry and self-similarity structure nature's most beautiful creations. For example, they are expressed in fractals, famous for their beautiful but complicated geometric structure, which is the subject of study in dimension theory. And in dynamics the presence of invariant fractals often results in unstable "turbulent-like" motions and is associated with "chaotic" behavior. In this book, Yakov Pesin introduces a new area of research that has recently appeared in the interface between dimension theory and the theory of dynamical systems. Focusing on invariant fractals and their influence on stochastic properties of systems, Pesin provides a comprehensive and systematic treatment of modern dimension theory in dynamical systems, summarizes the current state of research, and describes the most important accomplishments of this field. Pesin's synthesis of these subjects of broad current research interest will be appreciated both by advanced mathematicians and by a wide range of scientists who depend upon mathematical modeling of dynamical processes.

The dimension theory of dynamical systems has progressively developed, especially over the last two decades, into an independent and extremely active field of research. Its main aim is to study the complexity of sets and measures that are invariant under the dynamics. In particular, it is essential to characterizing chaotic strange attractors. To date, some parts of the theory have either only been outlined, because they can be reduced to the case of maps, or are too technical for a wider audience. In this respect, the present monograph is intended to provide a comprehensive guide. Moreover, the text is self-contained and with the exception of some basic results in Chapters 3 and 4, all the results in the book include detailed proofs. The book is intended for researchers and graduate students specializing in dynamical systems who wish to have a sufficiently comprehensive view of the theory together with a working knowledge of its main techniques. The discussion of some open problems is also included in the hope that it may lead to further developments. Ideally, readers should have some familiarity with the basic notions and results of ergodic theory and hyperbolic dynamics at the level of an introductory course in the area, though the initial chapters also review all the necessary material.

Over the last two decades, the dimension theory of dynamical systems has progressively developed into an independent and extremely active field of research. The main aim of this volume is to offer a unified, self-contained introduction to the interplay of these three main areas of research: ergodic theory, hyperbolic dynamics, and dimension theory. It starts with the basic notions of the first two topics and ends with a sufficiently high-level introduction to the third. Furthermore, it includes an introduction to the thermodynamic formalism, which is an important tool in dimension theory. The volume is primarily intended for graduate students interested in dynamical systems, as well as researchers in other areas who wish to learn about ergodic theory, thermodynamic formalism, or dimension theory of hyperbolic dynamics at an intermediate level in a sufficiently detailed manner. In particular, it can be used as a basis for graduate courses on any of these three subjects. The text can also be used for self-study: it is self-contained, and with the exception of some well-known basic facts from other areas, all statements include detailed proofs.

This volume, following in the tradition of a similar 2010 publication by the same editors, is an outgrowth of an international conference, “Fractals and Related Fields II,” held in June 2011. The book provides readers with an overview of developments in the mathematical fields related to fractals, including original research contributions as well as surveys from many of the leading experts on modern fractal theory and applications. The chapters cover fields related to fractals such as: *geometric measure theory *ergodic theory *dynamical systems *harmonic and functional analysis *number theory *probability theory Further Developments in Fractals and Related Fields is aimed at pure and applied mathematicians working in the above-mentioned areas as well as other researchers interested in discovering the fractal domain. Throughout the volume, readers will find interesting and motivating results as well as new avenues for further research.