Analysis on the octagasket

Warsaw, 5 December 2007

Christoph Bandt
Mathematics, University of Greifswald
bandt@uni-greifswald.de

Overview

1. Motivation
2. Fractals of finite type
3. Fractal n-gons
4. Analysis on finitely ramified fractals
5. Resistance scaling on new spaces
6. Harmonic structure on octagasket

1.1 Fractal analysis

Classical analysis on fractal spaces.
Started with Alexander+Orbach and
Rammal+Toulouse, J. Physique 1982/83
Many names: Kusuoka, Lindstrom, Barlow,
Fukushima, Kigami, Sabot, Kumagai ...
Various approaches:
Laplace operator, Dirichlet forms
Brownian motion
Besov spaces
harmonic functions
resistance metric

1.2 Main problem of fractal analysis

Well-developed theory, diverse methods.
But: very few examples,
all looking like Sierpi
nski gasket.
A single point will disconnect the space,

at least locally.
Exception: existence of a Brownian motion
on Sierpi
nski carpets, proved by Barlow+Bass
1990-99 (uniqueness, parameters, self-similarity
remain open)
We start analysis on a new class of spaces.
(still under construction)

1.3 Why self-similar sets?

Take harmonic functions: they can be defined
in any metric space by the mean-value property:
Z
1
f (x) =
f (y) d (y)
(S) S
where S is a small sphere around x and is the
surface measure.
This makes sense if
there are many balls or ball-like sets with
similar structure (symmetry condition)
there is a concept of surface measure.
Both conditions hold on appropriate self-similar
sets: they form a good testbed for analysis.

2.1 Self-similar sets

Mathematically tractable class of fractals
f1, ..., fn contracting similitudes on Rn.
On C, fk (z) = k z + ck with rk = |k | < 1.

A = f1(A) ... fn(A)

self-similar set.

Given fk , there is a unique compact A

smaller pieces fi(A) = fi1 fi2 ...fin (A)
Ai = fi(A) for i = i1i2...in
points x A described by addresses i1i2...
projection : A from shift space

2.2 Example

2.3 Open set condition

There exists an open set U with
fk (U ) U for each k
fj (U ) fk (U ) = for j 6= k
It turns out that without this condition OSC,
the formal self-similarity equation does not realize geometric self-similarity.
However, OSC is hard to check.
In some way, OSC means small overlap:
Th. (Rao + B 2006) If A R2 is connected
and all Ai Aj are finite sets, OSC holds.
Conj. In 3-space, a single point belonging to
two pieces can destroy OSC. Even with p.c.f.?

2.4 Symmetric OSC example

Why symmetry?
Calculations become simpler.

2.5 Neighbor maps

h = fi1fj for i = i1...im, j = j1...jm is called a
neighbor map between the pieces Ai and Aj
Represents the standardized relative position
of two neighboring pieces.
N = {h = fi1fj| i, j S , i1 6= j1}
Th. (Graf + B 1991) OSC holds if and only
if id 6 cl N .
Def. h is a proper neighbor map if Ai Aj 6= .
It is sufficient to study only proper neighbor
maps.

2.6 Neighbor maps for Sierpi

nski

...
...
..................
..................
.
.
............
............
............... .................
............... .................
.
.
.
.
. .. . . .. .
. .. . . .. .
...............................................
...............................................
.
.
.. ..
.. .
.. ..
.. .
........................... ............................. ............................ .............................
.
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
.
.
...
..
.....
......
.............
.........
.
..........
.................
.
............
..............
.
.
...............
.................
.........................
...................
....................
...................................
.
......................
.......................
.
.
.......................
..................................
.......................
.......................
................................................ .......................
.
.......................
.
.
.
.
.......................
.
.
.......................
.............................................
.......................
.......................
..............
............... .......................
.
.......................
.
.......................
.
.
.
.......................
........................ ............................
.......................
.......................
.
........................... ............................ .......................
.
.......................
.......................
.
.
.......................
...... ....... ...... ....... .......................
............. ................ ............... ................
.......................
.
.......................
.......................
.............................................................................................................
.
.............................................................
.....................
........................
..................
...........................
.
.
.................
...............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
............
......................
..........
........
........................ .............
.
.......
.
.
.
....
.
.
....
. ..
................ .................
................ ...................
.
.
. .. . .. .
. .. . .. .
................. .......... ....................
................. .......... ....................
.
.
.
.
. . ..
. . ..
. . ..
. . ..
....................... ........................ ........................ ........................
.
......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .........
................................................................................................................................................................

..........................
.
.
.
.
.
....... .............................. .......
... ................................ ..
.................. .................
................................................................
......... .......
..........

Potential neighbor sets of A and central open

set for the Sierpi
nski gasket
Type 1: only one type of proper neighbor, up
to rotation and reflection.
Corresponding neighbor map f (z) = z + 1

2.7 Recursive structure of neighbors

Proper neighbor maps can be arranged in a
graph, going from pieces to subpieces.

1 2

12
21

33

23,32

22
33
11
11

2.8 Generation of neighbor maps

In the case where all fk (z) = (z + bk ) have
the same , all neighbor maps are translations
h(z) = z + v.
The simplest vectors v are bj bk .
Recursive generation:
v
v 0 = + bj bk

We consider only those v with |v| < 2diamA

since only for those mappings we can have
A h(A) 6= .

2.9 Finite type

A has finite type if it has only finitely many
proper neighbor maps.
Particularly nice class:
Always OSC or exact overlap.
The neighbor graph controls the topology.
Intersection sets Bh = A h(A) form a
graph-directed self-similar construction.
For k = on C, is an algebraic integer.
Number of neighbor maps can be taken as
measure of complexity of A.
In fractal analysis, this corresponds to the number of non-linear equations we have to solve for
renormalization.

2.10 Type 1 and symmetry

Type 1 - only one neighbor map,
up to symmetry and reversal.
Th. (Mesing + B 2007) Without symmetry of
A, type 1 is not possible.
To find simple spaces for fractal analysis, we
thus have to choose symmetric sets. Let us
work in the plane with rotational symmetry.

3.1 Fractal n-gons

A R2 is a fractal n-gon if the cyclic group Cn
acts transitively on the pieces Ak = fk (A) :
Ak = sk1(A1) for a rotation s and k = 2, .., n

easy to describe: only one parameter

fk (z) = z + bk for k = 1, ..., n
2 i.e. bn = 1 and
+
i

sin
where b = cos 2
n
n
r = || < 1.

description is unique up to similarity.

3.2 Examples

fk (z) = z + bk ,

k = 1, .., n

For n = 3, Sierpi
nski took = 1
2.

Sidorov 2005 took = = 51

0.618
2
getting exact overlaps.
Recently, we took m = 4 and b = 1+i
2 .

3.3 Classify Type 1 n-gons

For every n there are n
3 parameters for
which A() is type 1. The parameters can be
explicitly given. For odd n

bk/2

1
n
1
= 1+
,0 j < b c + .

2 sin
6
2
n
For even n, the formula is similar, but the intersection sets may differ:
neighbors have one intersection point for
all solutions with odd n
but only for half of solutions with even n
the others have Cantor set intersections
very few exceptions where pieces intersect
in other sets

3.4 Cantor intersection set

3.5 Other Cantor overlaps

3.6 Example with piece overlap

This example has type 2 while

the golden gasket has type 4.

3.7 Example with piece overlap

More complicated, but still finite type.

4.1 P.c.f. Type 1 n-gons

Now we consider the type 1 n-gons with onepoint intersection between pieces. For odd n
there are n
3 parameters .
Here are all examples for n = 5.

4.2 P.c.f. Type 1 n-gons

The addresses of the intersection point A0 A1
have the form 0
k 1
j.
Let m = j 1 k and q = n (j 1).
It turns out that the harmonic or resistance
structure of A depends only on k, m, and q.

Even n.

= 2 + i and 2 +

2+i

4.3 Resistances for type 1

The 3 boundary points are always in the position X =
0, Y =
k, and Z = j 1, up to
symmetry.
This allows to scale resistances:
RX = rx,

rx
ry

rz

z
a

rx

rx

R
X
R
Z

k
rx

rz

rx

rz ry

ry

RZ = rz

rx

RY = ry ,

rx

RY
Y

4.4 Result for p.c.f. type 1

Th. (Hung + B 2007) For all p.c.f. type 1
fractal n-gons,

1
n + M + (M n)2 + 4n(K + Q M )
=
2n
where K = k(n k), M = m(n m) and
Q = q(n q).

Different resistance exponents = log

.
log ||

We obtained [0.76, 0.82] with fractal dimensions in [1.63, 1.76] for the examples shown
above. For the Sierpi
nski gasket, = 0.74 and
dH = 1.58.

4.5 Dimension and resistance exponent

Simple n-gons * have rather similar geometry,
approaching the case of the interval for n .
1
0.9

Resistance exponent

0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
1

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.6

1.7

1.8

1.9

Hausdorff dimension

The numerical result for the Sierpi

nski carpet
is near to the case of the square. The cases
will be explained now.

5.1 The octagasket

Fractal 8-gon with = 1 22 . Type 1!

Intersections are linear Cantor sets generated

by two maps with factor . So their dimension
is 1
4 dim A.

5.2 The octagaskets resistance

Three sets X, Y, Z where A can touch a neighbor. X Y Z is the boundary of A.
X

There are only two possible types of pairs of

neighbors: XY and XZ.
Thus only two equations for the normalization
of resistances have to be solved.

5.3 The resistance scheme

Network with nodes x, y, z for a pieces Ak and
X, Y, Z for the set A.
Normalize effective resistance:
xz = yz = 1, xy = 2r

r
r

1-r

For the large network, determine XY , XZ by

Kirchhoffs laws and solve
XY = xy , XZ = xz for and r.

5.4 Resistance exponent

The resistance factor for the octagasket is

1 + 193
=
1.86
8
1 3.14 larger,
That is, for a set which is ||
the resistance increases by 1.86.
The resistance exponent is

log
0.506
=
log ||
8
1.69 .
and the dimension dH = log
log ||
Compare with pentagasket:

9 + 161
=
2.17, 0.80, dH 1.67
10

5.5 Resistance metric

Th. On the octagasket there exist a selfsimilar effective resistance metric which generates the topology of A.
This metric is unique if distances of boundary
sets (not only points) are taken into account.

5.6 Two other examples

Resistance scaling can be done with other
infinitely ramified sets.
However, calculations become more involved.

For the fractal with four pieces, a fifth degree

polynomial comes in, and
1.56, 0.54, dH 1.67 .
For the dodecagasket the numerical result is
2.93, 0.69, dH 1.60 .

6.1 Dirichlet on octagasket

Dirichlet problem on the octagasket:
given boundary values 0(x) on X, Y, Z, H
older
continuous with respect to the Cantor structure, find a harmonic function (x) on A extending 0.
What is a harmonic function?
Mean-value properties.
First construct one value aw for each piece Aw
of A such that
8
1 X
aw =
awi
8 i=1

If this goes through, aw is the mean value of

with respect to the Hausdorff measure H, the
natural volume on A.

6.2 The mean value

Writing a for the mean on A, we require
8
1 X
a=
ai
8 i=1

We want to express a as a mean of the boundary values bx, by , bz which are assumed to be
constant. By symmetry,
a = q(bx + by ) + (1 2q)bz
It turns out that

331 193
0.31459
1008
is not related to the resistance

17 193
0.38844
r=
8
q=

6.3 Harmonic functions

Def. A bounded real function on A is H
older
continuous if for some < 1
diam (Aw ) m for all w = w1..wm
Such a function is uniquely determined by its
mean values
Z
1
aw =
dH
H(Aw ) Aw
for all words w = w1..wm.
The aw are kind of wavelet coefficients of .
Def.

A H
older function is harmonic if
aw = q(bxw + byw ) + (1 2q)bzw
y

for all w where bxw , bw , bzw denote the average

of on the three boundary sets of Aw , and
q = 0.314... is the constant above.

6.4 Solution of Dirichlet

Th. For any H
older function 0 on the boundary B = X Y Z of A there is a unique harmonic extension on A.
If 0 is just constant on X, Y, and Z, respectively, this is easily proved by recursive construction and calculation.
But this would be just a 3-dimensional space
of harmonic functions, like for the Sierpi
nski
gasket.
For the general case, we must specify the avy
erages bxw , bw , bzw for all w.

6.5 Refining solutions

Suppose we have for a 0 which is constant
on X, Y, Z say 0 = 0 for simplicity and
now we want to introduce two different values
bx0 = 0(X0) = and bx1 = 0(X1) = 1 on
the two parts of X. Then the coefficient a of
remains unchanged iff

428 193
=
1.23
337
This can be reformulated as follows:
if we want to refine 0 by adding symmetric
corrections +, on X0, X1 then
bx0 bx = (1 q 0)(+) , bx1 bx = q 0()
where
q0 =

0.551
1+

6.6 Harmonic measure

The constant q 0 expresses the greater importance of X1 : For random walkers starting on A
(with respect to H) and hitting the boundary
at X, the point will be in X1 with probability
q 0, and in X0 with 1 q 0.
This interpretation (which should be a point
for defining Brownian motion on A) gives rise
to the definition of a harmonic measure.
Th. The harmonic measure on B can be explicitly described: it has an alternating product
structure with q 0, 1 q 0 on the sets X, Y, Z.
y

The bxw , bw , bzw are taken as averages with respect to this measure.
The proofs are still in work.