Automaticity of structural defects in fixed points of block substitutions

Abstract

We study structural defects in fixed points of block substitutions, building on arXiv:2604.12637 and providing its technical supplement. We develop an automata-based framework to characterize their occurrence and derive verifiable combinatorial criteria. We also introduce simplifications for the construction and analysis of these automata, including tensor-product decompositions, that clarify the mechanisms underlying structural defects and their emergence.