A note on the definition of sliding block codes and the Curtis-Hedlund-Lyndon Theorem

Abstract

In this note we propose an alternative definition for sliding block codes between shift spaces. This definition coincides with the usual definition in the case that the shift space is defined on a finite alphabet, but it encompass a larger class of maps when the alphabet is infinite. In any case, the proposed definition keeps the idea that a sliding block code is a map with a local rule. Using this new definition we prove that the Curtis-Hedlund-Lyndon Theorem always holds for shift spaces over countable alphabets.