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Two rational sphere maps are Möbius conjugate if $S=h\circ R\circ h^{-1}$ for a Möbius transformation $h$. This is precisely global holomorphic conjugacy between Riemann-sphere self-maps. It preserves degree, local degrees of a holomorphic map, exact periods and return periodic-orbit multipliers, and transports the Fatou set and Julia set by $h$. Since a Möbius map and its inverse are Lipschitz on the compact sphere, this last assertion follows directly from equicontinuity of the iterate families. An affine holomorphic conjugacy is the special case where $h$ fixes infinity.

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.

Use the normalized chordal metricUnder stereographic projection it is half the Euclidean chord distance on the unit sphere, which proves the metric axioms and the agreement with the usual sphere topology. If $\rho$ is spherical geodesic distance, then $\rho =2\arcsin \chi$, so $2\chi \le \rho \le \pi \chi$.

A rational map is holomorphic, hence smooth, as a map of compact spheres. At a pole use $1/R$ as target coordinate, and at infinity use $1/z$ as source coordinate; neither is a singularity of the sphere map. Its differential in the round metric has a finite maximum norm $L$. Integrating its norm along a minimizing spherical geodesic gives $\rho (Rz,Rw)\le L\rho (z,w)$. The preceding comparisons implyThis proves that the rational map is Lipschitz in the chordal metric. For a constant map take constant zero; for a nonconstant map the bound is finite by compactness. In finite coordinates the differential norm is $R^{\#}(z)=|R^{\prime }(z)|(1+|z{|}^2)/(1+|R(z){|}^2)$, with its continuous sphere extension.

Now suppose $R,S$ are commuting maps. We first prove $S(F(R))\subseteq F(R)$. The family $\{R^n\}$ is locally equicontinuous on $F(R)$, by the normality equivalence in question 1. Commutation and the Lipschitz estimate give, for all $n$,For $x_0\in F(R)$ choose a source ball within that open set, small enough to make the right side less than any prescribed $ϵ$ uniformly in $n$. Holomorphic openness makes its image contain a ball about $S(x_0)$. Every point $w$ of that target ball has some preimage $x$ in the chosen source ball, so the same inequality proves equicontinuity of the iterates of $R$ at $S(x_0)$. Repeating at each point of the image gives local normality on that image. Thus the stated inclusion holds even where $S$ has a rational critical point.

Carefully state the permitted Montel theorem: a family of meromorphic maps on an open domain, all omitting the same three distinct values of the Riemann sphere, is normal for locally uniform spherical convergence. Since $\mathrm{deg}R\ge 2$, question 1 shows that $J(R)$ contains at least three distinct points. The forward inclusion just proved means every iterate of $S$ maps $F(R)$ into itself and therefore omits those three points there. Montel gives $F(R)\subseteq F(S)$. Exchanging the roles, using $\mathrm{deg}S\ge 2$, gives the opposite inclusion. ConsequentlyThis proves that commuting rational maps of degree at least two have the same Julia set without assuming either is an iterate of the other.

For commuting maps of degree one with different Julia sets, takeTheir two compositions are the identity, and the Julia sets follow from the expanding and contracting Möbius cases in question 1.

For equal Julia sets without commutation, takeBoth affine maps contract toward their finite fixed points and have a repelling periodic point at infinity. But $R\circ S=z/4+1/2$, while $S\circ R=z/4+1$, so they do not commute.

Finally the distinct Chebyshev polynomialshave degrees two and three and neither is a pure power of $z$. Direct expansion gives both compositions equal to $32z^6-48z^4+18z^2-1$. Equivalently $T_m(T_n(z))=T_{mn}(z)$, first seen at $z=\cos \theta$ and then as a polynomial identity. This provides the requested higher-degree pair.

The Arzelà-Ascoli theorem for $C([0,1])$ states that a family has compact closure in the uniform norm exactly when it is uniformly bounded and equicontinuous. To prove sufficiency, choose a countable dense set. From any sequence of functions, successive subsequence extraction at each dense point and a diagonal selection give convergence at all those points. Given $\epsilon >0$, equicontinuity gives a common $\delta$; cover the interval by finitely many $\delta$-balls centered at dense points. On a sufficiently late tail the functions differ by less than $\epsilon /3$ at those finitely many centres, and equicontinuity makes each of the other two differences less than $\epsilon /3$. Thus the selected subsequence is uniformly Cauchy. Completeness of $C([0,1])$ gives a continuous uniform limit. In a metric space this proves compactness of the closure. Conversely, a compact family has finite uniform $\epsilon$-nets. The finitely many net functions are bounded and uniformly continuous; approximation by them gives a common bound and equicontinuity for the family. This proves both directions.

For $f\in S_N$, a positive interior maximum would have $f^{\prime }=0$ and $f^{\prime \prime }\le 0$, contradicting $f^{\prime \prime }=f>0$. A negative interior minimum likewise contradicts $f^{\prime \prime }=f<0$. The endpoint bounds therefore give $|f|\le N$ everywhere.

Now put $w=f^{\prime }$. Differentiating the equation, using the stipulated third derivative, gives $w^{\prime \prime }=w+2w{w}^{\prime }$. At an interior extremum of $w$, $w^{\prime }=0$, so $w^{\prime \prime }=w$. The same maximum/minimum argument and the derivative endpoint bounds imply $|f^{\prime }|=|w|\le N$. Consequently $|f(x)-f(y)|\le N|x-y|$ by the mean value theorem. Thus $S_N$ is uniformly bounded and equicontinuous, and the theorem makes it relatively compact, hence totally bounded in $C([0,1])$. Its closure need not be asserted to remain thrice differentiable.

The Riemann mapping theorem asserts that a nonempty simply connected domain $\Omega ⊊\mathbb{C}$ is biholomorphic to the unit disk $\mathbb{D}$. More precisely, for each $z_0\in \Omega$ there is a unique biholomorphism $f:\Omega \to \mathbb{D}$ satisfying $f(z_0)=0$ and $f^{\prime }(z_0)>0$. We prove existence through an extremal derivative, deriving the compactness and injectivity steps rather than assuming special lemmas for the theorem.

First construct a bounded univalent function on $\Omega$. Choose $a\notin \Omega$ and a holomorphic logarithm of $z-a$, which exists by the permitted logarithm result on the translated simply connected domain. PutThen $u(z{)}^2=z-a$, so $u$ is univalent and never zero. Its image $G=u(\Omega )$ is open, and $G\cap (-G)=\varnothing$: equality $u(x)=-u(y)$ would imply $x=y$ after squaring and then $u(x)=0$.

Fix $w_0\in G$ and choose $r>0$ with $B(w_0,r)\subset G$. It follows that $B(-w_0,r)\subset -G$ is disjoint from $G$, so $|u(z)+w_0|\ge r$ throughout $\Omega$. Henceis a univalent function with $|h|\le 1/2$. For $b\in \mathbb{D}$, defineThe identityand the inverse $T_b^{-1}(w)=(w+b)/(1+\overline{b}w)$ show directly that $T_b$ is an automorphism of the unit disk. Apply $T_{h(z_0)}$ to $h$ and then a rotation to make its nonzero derivative at $z_0$ positive. The family $\mathcal{A}$ of univalent maps $\Omega \to \mathbb{D}$ with value zero and positive derivative at $z_0$ is therefore nonempty.

LetIt is positive. Choose $\rho >0$ with $\overline{B(z_0,\rho )}\subset \Omega$. The Cauchy estimate gives $v^{\prime }(z_0)\le 1/\rho$ for every $v\in \mathcal{A}$, so $M$ is finite. Take a sequence $v_j\in \mathcal{A}$ with $v_j^{\prime }(z_0)\to M$.

We now justify a locally uniform convergence subsequence. On any compact subset of $\Omega$, the bound $|v_j|\le 1$ and the Cauchy estimate on slightly larger interior disks give a uniform derivative bound. They therefore give equicontinuity. Apply the Arzelà-Ascoli theorem on a compact exhaustion of $\Omega$, then take a diagonal subsequence for locally uniform convergence. Its limit $v$ is holomorphic: pass to the limit in the Cauchy integral formula on every small interior circle. The same formula for derivatives givesThus $v$ is nonconstant. Initially $|v|\le 1$, and the maximum modulus principle improves this to $|v|<1$ everywhere.

For completeness, the needed locally uniform limit of univalent functions argument is short. If $x\ne y$ and $v(x)=v(y)$, the nonconstant holomorphic function $v-v(y)$ has an isolated zero at $x$. Choose a small closed disk around $x$ excluding $y$, with no zero on its boundary. Uniform convergence there gives $v_j-v_j(y)\to v-v(y)$. The Rouche theorem then makes $v_j-v_j(y)$ have a zero inside that disk for all sufficiently large $j$. Its only possible zero, by injectivity of $v_j$, is $y$, outside the disk. This contradiction proves injectivity of $v$. Therefore $v\in \mathcal{A}$ and attains the supremum $M$.

It remains to prove surjectivity. Suppose $c\in \mathbb{D}$ is omitted by $v$; since $v(z_0)=0$, necessarily $c\ne 0$. The domain $T_c(v(\Omega ))$ is simply connected, because both constituent maps are homeomorphisms onto their images, and it excludes zero. The permitted holomorphic logarithm gives a holomorphic square rootThis maps $\Omega$ into $\mathbb{D}$ and is univalent, since equality of its values implies equality after squaring and hence equality of the original arguments. Write $\gamma =g(z_0)$. Then ${\gamma }^2=T_c(0)=-c$ and $|\gamma |=\sqrt{|c|}$. Normalize again with $V=T_{\gamma }\circ g$ and a rotation. Its derivative magnitude isThe strict inequality follows from $(1-\sqrt{|c|}{)}^2>0$. This square-root improvement of a normalized conformal map contradicts extremality. Thus $v(\Omega )=\mathbb{D}$. An injective holomorphic map has nonzero derivative and a holomorphic local inverse; these inverses agree, so the resulting bijection is biholomorphic. We have proved existence.

For uniqueness, two normalized maps give an automorphism of the unit disk $v_2\circ v_1^{-1}$ fixing zero. Apply the Schwarz lemma, proved in the next part, to this automorphism and its inverse. Both inequalities force equality, so the equality case makes it a rotation. Its derivative at zero is the positive real number $v_2^{\prime }(z_0)/v_1^{\prime }(z_0)$, forcing that rotation to be the identity. ThereforeThe proper-domain hypothesis is necessary: a bounded entire holomorphic function has derivative at most $1/R$ on disks of arbitrarily large radius by the Cauchy estimate, and hence is constant. Conversely, a domain biholomorphic to the disk is simply connected because the map is a homeomorphism.