Topological Markov chains of given entropy and period with or without measure of maximal entropy

Abstract

We show that, for every positive real number h and every positive integer p, there exist oriented graphs G, G' (with countably many vertices) that are strongly connected, of period p, of Gurevich entropy h, such that G is positive recurrent (thus the topological Markov chain on G admits a measure of maximal entropy) and G' is transient (thus the topological Markov chain on G' admits no measure of maximal entropy).