Realization of homotopy classes of torus homeomorphisms by the simplest structurally stable diffeomorphisms

Abstract

Abstract. According to Thurston’s classification, the set of homotopy classes of orientation-preserving homeomorphisms of orientable surfaces is split into four disjoint subsets. A homotopy class from each subset is characterized by the existence of a homeomorphism called Thurston’s canonical form, namely: a periodic homeomorphism, a reducible nonperiodic homeomorphism of algebraically finite order, a reducible homeomorphism that is not a homeomorphism of an algebraically finite order, and a pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism. Thurston’s canonical forms are not structurally stable diffeomorphisms. Therefore, the problem naturally arises of constructing the simplest (in a certain sense) structurally stable diffeomorphisms in each homotopy class. In this paper, the problem posed is solved for torus homeomorphisms. In each homotopy class, structurally stable representatives are analytically constructed, namely, a gradient-like diffeomorphism, a Morse-Smale diffeomorphism with an orientable heteroclinic, and an Anosov diffeomorphism, which is a particular case of a pseudo-Anosov diffeomorphism.