Quadratic-like dynamics of cubic polynomials

Abstract

A small perturbation of a quadratic polynomial with a non-repelling fixed point gives a polynomial with an attracting fixed point and a Jordan curve Julia set, on which the perturbed polynomial acts like angle doubling. However, there are cubic polynomials with a non-repelling fixed point, for which no perturbation results into a polynomial with Jordan curve Julia set. Motivated by the study of the closure of the Cubic Principal Hyperbolic Domain, we describe such polynomials in terms of their quadratic-like restrictions.