Basic notions

Abstract

This chapter collects in a pragmatic manner all the notions and results from dimension theory, ergodic theory, and the thermodynamic formalism that are needed in the book. We emphasize that it is not intended to be an introduction to any of the three areas but instead to serve as a reference for the remaining chapters. Furthermore, it may be skipped without consequences, since whenever needed we shall refer in the main text of the book to the appropriate place in this chapter.