On trigonometric skew-products over irrational circle-rotations

Abstract

We describe some asymptotic properties of trigonometric skew-product maps over irrational rotations of the circle. The limits are controlled using renormalization. The maps considered here arise in connection with the self-dual Hofstadter Hamiltonian at energy zero. They are analogous to the almost Mathieu maps, but the factors commute. This allows us to construct periodic orbits under renormalization, for every quadratic irrational, and to prove that the map-pairs arising from the Hofstadter model are attracted to these periodic orbits. Analogous results are believed to be true for the self-dual almost Mathieu maps, but they seem presently beyond reach.