A certain synchronizing property of subshifts and flow equivalence

Abstract

We will study a certain synchronizing property of subshifts called $\lambda$-synchronization. The $\lambda$-synchronizing subshifts form a large class of irreducible subshifts containing irreducible sofic shifts. We prove that the $\lambda$-synchronization is invariant under flow equivalence of subshifts. The $\lambda$-synchronizing K-groups and the $\lambda$-synchronizing Bowen-Franks groups are studied and proved to be invariant under flow equivalence of $\lambda$-synchronizing subshifts. They are new flow equivalence invariants for $\lambda$-synchronizing subshifts.