This book contains a collection of survey papers by leading researchers in ergodic theory, low-dimensional and topological dynamics and it comprises nine chapters on a range of important topics. These include: the role and usefulness of ultrafilters in ergodic theory, topological dynamics and Ramsey theory; topological aspects of kneading theory together with an analogous 2-dimensional theory called pruning; the dynamics of Markov odometers, Bratteli-Vershik diagrams and orbit equivalence of non-singular automorphisms; geometric proofs of Mather's connecting and accelerating theorems; recent results in one dimensional smooth dynamics; periodic points of nonexpansive maps; arithmetic dynamics; the defect of factor maps; entropy theory for actions of countable amenable groups.

This volume contains a collection of articles from the special program on algebraic and topological dynamics and a workshop on dynamical systems held at the Max-Planck Institute (Bonn, Germany). It reflects the extraordinary vitality of dynamical systems in its interaction with a broad range of mathematical subjects. Topics covered in the book include asymptotic geometric analysis, transformation groups, arithmetic dynamics, complex dynamics, symbolic dynamics, statisticalproperties of dynamical systems, and the theory of entropy and chaos. The book is suitable for graduate students and researchers interested in dynamical systems.