Topological Speedups

Abstract

Given a dynamical system $(X,T)$ one can define a speedup of $(X,T)$ as another dynamical system conjugate to $S:X\rightarrow X$ where $S(x)=T^{p(x)}(x)$ for some function $p:X\rightarrow\mathbb{Z}^{+}$. In $1985$ Arnoux, Ornstein, and Weiss showed that any aperiodic, not necessarily ergodic, measure preserving system is isomorphic to a speedup of any ergodic measure preserving system. In this paper we study speedups in the topological category. Specifically, we consider minimal homeomorphisms on Cantor spaces. Our main theorem gives conditions on when one such system is a speedup of another. Furthermore, the main theorem serves as a topological analogue of the Arnoux, Ornstein, and Weiss speedup theorem, as well as a 'one-sided" orbit equivalence theorem.