Related papers: Critically fixed Thurston maps: classification, re…

The dynamical classification of rational maps is a central concern of holomorphic dynamics. Much progress has been made, especially on the classification of polynomials and some approachable one-parameter families of rational maps; the goal…

We develop a Thurston-like theory to characterize geometrically finite rational maps, then apply it to study pinching and plumbing deformations of rational maps. We show that in certain conditions the pinching path converges uniformly and…

Let $\tilde f\colon(S^2,\tilde A)\to(S^2,\tilde A)$ be a Thurston map and let $M(\tilde f)$ be its mapping class biset: isotopy classes rel $\tilde A$ of maps obtained by pre- and post-composing $\tilde f$ by the mapping class group of…

A Thurston map $f\colon (S^2, A) \to (S^2, A)$ with marking set $A$ induces a pullback relation on isotopy classes of Jordan curves in $(S^2, A)$. If every curve lands in a finite list of possible curve classes after iterating this pullback…

Associated to a Thurston map $f: S^2 \to S^2$ with postcritical set $P$ are several different invariants obtained via pullback: a relation on the set of free homotopy classes of curves in $S^2- P$, a linear operator on the free $\R$-module…

A study of real quadratic maps with real critical points, emphasizing the effective construction of critically finite maps with specified combinatorics. We discuss the behavior of the Thurston algorithm in obstructed cases, and in one…

Topological mating is an combination that takes two same-degree polynomials and produces a new map with dynamics inherited from this initial pair. This process frequently yields a map that is Thurston-equivalent to a rational map $F$ on the…

Let $f: S^2 \to S^2$ be a continuous map of degree $d$, $|d|>1$, and let $N_nf$ denote the number of fixed points of $f^n$. We show that if $f$ is a Thurston map with non hyperbolic orbifold, then either the growth rate inequality $\limsup…

Let $f:(\mathbb{P}^1,P)\to(\mathbb{P}^1,P)$ be a postcritically finite rational map with postcritical set $P$. William Thurston showed that $f$ induces a holomorphic pullback map $\sigma_f:\mathcal{T}_P\to\mathcal{T}_P$ on the Teichm\"uller…

In the second paper [LZ24b] of this series, we obtained an analog of the prime number theorem for a class of branched covering maps on the $2$-sphere $S^2$ called expanding Thurston maps, which are topological models of some non-uniformly…

We consider rational maps $f$ on the Riemann sphere $\widehat {\mathbb{C}}$ with an $f$-invariant set $P\subset \widehat {\mathbb{C}}$ of four marked points containing the postcritical set of $f$. We show that the dynamics of the…

The key result in the present paper is a direct analogue of the celebrated Thurston's Theorem for marked Thurston maps with parabolic orbifolds. Combining this result with previously developed techniques, we prove that every Thurston map…

For each integer $m \geq 1$, we construct a finite-dimensional family of rational maps, given by Blaschke-type products, whose restriction to the unit circle consists of $2m$-multimodal maps. We show that every post-critically finite…

We introduce a cluster algebraic generalization of Thurston's earthquake map for the cluster algebras of finite type, which we call the \emph{cluster earthquake map}. It is defined by gluing exponential maps, which is modeled after the…

We develop the theory of Thurston maps that are defined everywhere on the topological sphere $S^2$ with a possible exception of a single essential singularity. We establish an analog of the celebrated W. Thurston's characterization theorem…

We prove that every postsingularly finite entire map $g$ can be approximated by a sequence of postcritically finite complex polynomials $(g_n)$ such that their postsingular dynamics $g|P_g$ and $g_n|P_{g_n}$ are conjugate for every $n \in…

In this paper, we prove that an expanding Thurston map $f\colon S^2 \rightarrow S^2$ is asymptotically $h$-expansive if and only if it has no periodic critical points, and that no expanding Thurston map is $h$-expansive. As a consequence,…

We prove that if $F$ is a degree $3$ Thurston map with two fixed critical points, then any irreducible obstruction for $F$ contains a Levy cycle. As a corollary, it will be shown that if $f$ and $g$ are two postcritically finite cubic…

A well-known result from Brouwer states that any orientation preserving homeomorphism of the plane with no fixed points has an empty non-wandering set. In particular, an invariant compact set implies the existence of a fixed point. In this…

In 1980s, Thurston established a topological characterization theorem for postcritically finite rational maps. In this paper, a decomposition theorem for a class of postcritically infinite branched covering termed `Herman map' is developed.…