Tilings, tiling spaces and topology

Abstract

To understand on aperiodic tiling (or a quasicrystal modeled on an aperiodic tiling), we construct a space of similar tilings, on which the group of translations acts naturally. This space is then an (abstract) dynamical system. Dynamical properties of the space (such as mixing, or the spectrum of the translation operator) are closely related to bulk properties of individual tilings (such as the diffraction pattern). The topology of the space of tilings, particularly the Cech cohomology, gives information on how original tiling may be deformed. Tiling spaces can be constructed as inverse limits of branched manifolds.

Acknowledgements

This work was partially supported by the National Science Foundation.