Variational principles for topological entropies of subsets

Abstract

Let $(X,T)$ be a topological dynamical system. We define the measure-theoretical lower and upper entropies ${\underline{h}}_{\mu }(T)$, ${\bar{h}}_{\mu }(T)$ for any $\mu \in M(X)$, where $M(X)$ denotes the collection of all Borel probability measures on $X$. For any non-empty compact subset $K$ of $X$, we show that $$\htop^B(T, K)= \sup \{\underline{h}_μ(T): μ\in M(X),\; μ(K)=1\}, $$ $$\htop^P(T, K)= \sup \{\bar{h}_μ(T): μ\in M(X),\; μ(K)=1\}. $$ where $\htop^B(T, K)$ denotes Bowen's topological entropy of $K$, and $\htop^P(T, K)$ the packing topological entropy of $K$. Furthermore, when $\htop(T)<\infty$, the first equality remains valid when $K$ is replaced by an arbitrarily analytic subset of $X$. The second equality always extends to any analytic subset of $X$.