ESCAPE RATE FOR SHIFTS WITH MARKOV MEASURE

Abstract We consider a subshift of finite type endowed with a Markov measure that is given by a stochastic matrix. We introduce a Markov hole determined by a finite collection of allowed words in the subshift. We first present a simple yet precise formula to compute the escape rate into the hole as the spectral radius of a perturbed stochastic matrix, where the rule of perturbation is governed by the hole. The combinatorial nature of the subshift comes to our aid in obtaining another formulation of the escape rate as the logarithm of the smallest real pole of a certain rational function, by way of recurrence relations. This proves crucial in comparing the escape rates into cylinders based at words of fixed length. Merits of both the formulas are illustrated through examples.