Existence of the zero temperature limit of equilibrium states on topologically transitive countable Markov shifts

Abstract

Consider a topologically transitive countable Markov shift $\Sigma$ and a summable Markov potential $\phi$ with finite Gurevich pressure and $\mathrm{Var}_1(\phi) < \infty$. We prove existence of the limit $\lim_{t \to \infty} \mu_t$ in the weak$^\star$ topology, where $\mu_t$ is the unique equilibrium state associated to the potential $t\phi$. Besides that, we present examples where the limit at zero temperature exists for potentials satisfying more general conditions.