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Let $R$ be a nonconstant rational map of the Riemann sphere, and write $R^n$ for its $n$-fold iterate, with $R^0$ the identity. The appropriate notion of convergence is uniform convergence on compact subsets in the chordal metric, which treats poles as ordinary values at infinity. A family of meromorphic maps is a normal family if every sequence in it has a subsequence converging locally uniformly in that metric; the limit is meromorphic or constant, possibly the constant infinity.

The Fatou set $F(R)$ consists of points with a neighborhood on which the iterate family is normal. The complementary Julia set is $J(R)=\hat{\mathbb{C}}\setminus F(R)$. Thus the sphere is the disjoint union of an open stability region $F(R)$ and a closed instability region $J(R)$. These definitions concern all subsequences of iterates, rather than assuming that the iterates themselves converge on every stable region.

Equicontinuity makes this distinction precise. On a compact subset $K$ of a neighborhood, the family is equicontinuous if, for every $ϵ>0$, some $\delta >0$ makes $\chi (R^n(z),R^n(w))<ϵ$ whenever $z,w\in K$ and $\chi (z,w)<\delta$, uniformly in $n$. The Arzelà-Ascoli theorem says that equicontinuity of continuous maps from a compact domain to a compact metric target gives relative compactness for uniform convergence. Apply it to a compact exhaustion and take a diagonal subsequence to obtain local normality. Locally uniform spherical limits of meromorphic maps are again meromorphic or constant, by using finite target charts and the locally uniform limit theorem for holomorphic functions. Conversely, if equicontinuity failed, there would be maps $f_j$ and points $z_j,w_j\to z$ with $\chi (f_j(z_j),f_j(w_j))$ bounded below by a positive number. A subsequence converging uniformly on a compact neighborhood contradicts this. Hence local normality and local equicontinuity are equivalent here.

Both sets are completely invariant:For the inverse direction, if the family is normal near $R(z)$, composition with $R$ makes $R^{n+1}$ normal near $z$, and adding the identity does not affect normality. For the forward direction, suppose the iterates are equicontinuous near $z$. A nonconstant holomorphic sphere map is open. Thus each sufficiently small neighborhood of $z$ maps onto a neighborhood of $R(z)$; every nearby target point $w$ has a preimage $x$ as close to $z$ as desired. Thenis uniformly small. Applying this at each point of the image neighborhood proves equicontinuity there. This argument works at rational critical points and requires no single-valued inverse branch. Surjectivity of $R$ supplies the asserted image equalities. Also $F(R^k)=F(R)$ and $J(R^k)=J(R)$ for $k\ge 1$: one direction follows by taking a subfamily, and the other by splitting $R^n$ into the finitely many residue classes $R^r\circ (R^k{)}^m$, $0\le r<k$.

For degree $d\ge 2$, the Julia set is nonempty. Otherwise the family would be equicontinuous on the whole compact sphere, giving a subsequence $R^{n_j}$ converging uniformly to a continuous sphere map $G$. Maps sufficiently close in chordal distance are homotopic, using the unique short spherical geodesic between their values. They therefore have equal topological degrees. This is impossible because $\mathrm{deg}{R}^{n_j}=d^{n_j}\to \infty$ whereas $G$ has one fixed degree.

It cannot be a nonempty finite set either. Complete invariance would make $R$ a permutation of that finite set, with just one sphere preimage for each of its points. That preimage would have local degree of a holomorphic map $d$. Every holomorphic cycle in this set would consequently be superattracting for its return map, hence lie in $F(R)$, a contradiction. In particular $J(R)$ contains at least three points.

The Montel theorem in the form used here says that a family of meromorphic maps on a domain, each omitting the same three distinct points of the sphere, is normal for spherical convergence. It also shows that $J(R)$ is perfect. If $a$ were isolated in $J(R)$, choose a disc $U$ with $U\cap J(R)=\{a\}$ and four distinct points of $J(R)$. For each $n$, complete invariance makes $R^n(U)\cap J(R)$ have at most the single point $R^n(a)$. Partition the iterates into finitely many families according to which of the four points, if any, that single value equals. Each family omits at least three fixed points, so each is normal by Montel; their finite union is normal. This would put $a$ in $F(R)$, a contradiction. Therefore the degree-at-least-two Julia set is compact, infinite and has no isolated points.

The same omitted-value argument explains its global reach. If an open $U$ meets $J(R)$, then ${\bigcup }_{n\ge 0}{R}^n(U)$ can omit at most two sphere points, since three omissions would imply normality on $U$. If $J(R)$ had an interior and were not the whole sphere, these image sets would remain in $J(R)$ and their complement would contain the nonempty open set $F(R)$, impossible. Thus a proper Julia set has empty interior and equals the boundary of $F(R)$. If the Julia set is the whole sphere, the Fatou set is empty instead.

An attracting periodic point and its holomorphic cycle has a contracting return map in a small disc, so its basin is in the Fatou set. Repelling periodic points belong to the Julia set: return iterates fix the point but have derivatives equal to unbounded powers of their periodic-orbit multiplier, contradicting derivative bounds for a normal subsequence near that fixed value. A standard further global property is that repelling periodic points are dense in the Julia set. Fatou components can also support convergence towards a parabolic cycle on the boundary, or rotation behavior in a Siegel disc or a Herman ring; normality need not mean attraction. For example, $R(z)=z^d$ has $J(R)=\{|z|=1\}$, with the interior converging to zero and the exterior to infinity. On the unit circle, arbitrarily close radii have incompatible limiting behavior, preventing normality there.

Degree one has a different picture. A rational map of degree one is a Möbius transformation. Up to Möbius conjugacy, an elliptic map is $z\mapsto az$ with $|a|=1$; its iterates are rotations and are equicontinuous on the sphere, so $F$ is the whole sphere and $J$ is empty (including the identity). For $z\mapsto az$ with $|a|>1$, all compact subsets away from zero converge to infinity, while $z_n=a^{-n}\to 0$ and $R^n(z_n)=1$ prevent equicontinuity at zero. Thus $J=\{0\}$; for $|a|<1$ the reciprocal coordinate gives $J=\{\infty \}$. A nonidentity parabolic map is conjugate to $z\mapsto z+1$. Its iterates converge locally uniformly to infinity on the finite plane, but $z_n=-n\to \infty$ has $R^n(z_n)=0$, so $J=\{\infty \}$. Holomorphic conjugacy carries these sets to the corresponding fixed points of the original map. These finite Julia sets explain why the degree restriction in many global Julia-set properties is essential.