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1. Some Familiar Facts about the Cubic Newton Fractal

The cubic Newton fractal is the Julia set, in the complex plane, for iterations of $z \mapsto z - (z^3 - 1) / (3 z^2)$; shown in
this picture as "necklace mesh" of white points, on the closed rectangle patch of (roughly) $z \in (2, 1.5) \times (-1.5~{\rm I}, 1.5~{\rm I})$.

Cubic Newton Fractal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Julia-set_N_z3-1.png

The following notions correspond to certain features of the picture, and are relevant for my question below:

  • the Julia set, i.e. "the fractal" itself, depicted as "necklace pattern" of bright white colored points; constituting a connected fractal mesh of boundary lines between

  • three Fatou sets (depicted as all red points, all green points, and all blue points, resp.), each consisting of "infinitely many" disjoint

  • basins of attraction (in the following short "basins") of the corresponding color. As they appear in the picture above, some basins "run all the way" to the edge of the picture rectangle (this includes "the three big, principal basins" of the three Fatou sets, which together fill most of the picture area); while each more typical "small basin" appears completely enclosed by a white boundary line (i.e. a corresponding circular segment of the Julia set).

Especially relevant is the "(self-)similarity, over all length scales" of the cubic Newton fractal (incl. Julia set and the "arrangement of basins"); in some detail:

  • that each point of the Julia set is a common boundary point of exactly six basins; specifically of two of each of the three Fatou sets (and thus always shown as each white point as the common boundary point of corresponding specific two red, two blue, and two green basins), and

  • that "there is no extended stretch of boundary line" in common for any two basins; but instead:
    any two basins share at most several disconnected boundary points (which in turn all belong to the Julia set, of course).

2. The "Shamrock Nodes" as conspicuous points of the Julia Set, and a scheme for systematically identifying, naming and enumerating Shamrock Nodes in sequence

By its particular symmetry and self-similarity, certain points of the cubic Newton fractal stand out more or less conspicuously -- for lack of other role models I'll call them "shamrock nodes" in the following.

Irish Clover (Shamrock). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Irish_clover.svg

Foremost the point $(0, 0)$, at the center of symmetry, i.e. the only point (shown in the picture) which the three big, principal basins of attraction have as their common boundary point. The three other, smaller basins of attraction which border on this point are readily recognized as part of a shamrock shape ("three-leaf clover shape") in the complex plane; with this most conspicuous "shamrock node" $(0, 0)$ at its center.

Naming this particular point $(0, 0)$ in this context suggestively point RGB$\mathbf{0}$, it can serve as initial point in successively identifying and naming (at least some countable set of) additional "shamrock nodes" of the cubic Newton fractal;
by the following algorithm: ... which could be arbitrarily verbose and lengthy to state explicitly ...
So: perhaps the following sketch is at least as instructive, but easier to digest:

Cubic Newton Fractal, with labels for parts of the initial sequence of Shamrock Nodes

Since above I claimed that a countable sequence (enumeration) of "shamrock nodes" can be obtained, I'll still put some concrete example of the initial sequence in the following "Spoiler":

RGB$\mathbf{0}$, RG1, RG2, RB1, RG1R1, RG3, RB2, GB1, RG1R2, RG1G1, RB1R1, RB1B1, GB1G1, GB1B1, RG4, RB3, GB2, RG1R3, RG1G2, RB1R2, RB1B2, GB1G2, GB1B2, RG2R1, RG1R1R1, RG5, RB4, GB3, RG1R4, RG1G3, RB1R3, RB1B3, GB1G3, GB1B3, RG2R2, RB2R1, RB2B1, GB2G1, GB2B1, RG1R1R2, RG3R1, RG1R1G1, RG1G1R1, RG1G1G1, RB1R1R1, RB1R1B1, RB1B1R1, RB1B1B1, GB1G1G1, GB1G1B1, GB1B1G1, GB1B1B1, RG6, RB5, GB4, ...

3. My question is about: Placing an "Open Disk" on each Shamrock Node

Considering an (uncountable) set of points (such as the Cubic Newton Fractal - "white necklace" Julia Set) and a (countable) subset (such as the sequence of Shamrock Nodes), all given as points of a complete metric space, in the present case specifically with $\rm d[ ~ p, q ~] := | ~ z[ ~ q ~ ] - z[ ~ p ~ ] ~|$,
it is a rather common technique and persuit in topology to define certain sequences of (generally open) subsets of the bigger (uncountable) set in terms of the points of the smaller (countable) subset,
and to investigate whether, or not, the bigger (uncountable) set is covered by the defined open sets;
all of them, constituting "a family" of open sets, "taken" together (as union of those sets).

Concrete examples of such question and answers can be found here and the "related questions" listed there.

Hereby I'd like to ask such a type of question, as simple and straightforward as reasonable, about the Cubic Newton Fractal (Julia Set) and its Sequence of Shamrock Nodes defined (or presently at least sketched) above:

4. My question:

Considering a family $\mathcal F$ of open disks in the complex plane, where each point in the infinite list $\mathfrak S_{\text{CNF}}$ of "shamrock nodes" of the cubic Newton fractal (Julia set) is the center of an open disk (each of non-zero radius, without further requirements), i.e.

$$\mathcal F := \{ ~ D_k \subset \mathbb C ~ | ~ (\mathfrak s_k \in \mathfrak S_{\text{CNF}}) \text{ and } (\exists ~ r_k > 0 : \forall ~ z \in \mathbb C : (z \in D_k) \iff (| ~ z - \mathfrak s_k | < r_k)) ~ \},$$

is family $\mathcal F$ guaranteed an open cover of the cubic Newton fractal (Julia set) ?

5. Appendix: An illustration ("Artist's Impression") of some open disks having been placed on part of the initial sequence of Shamrock Nodes

(Note however: The choice of disk radii in this picture is not completely arbitrary, aside from being finite at all, as my question is asking; but instead rather "deliberately artistic".)

Cubic Newton Fractal, with the initial sequence of open disks placed (centrally

user12262
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    Do we know whether the Julia set is connected? Path-connected? Uncountable? Could it be that every point of the Julia set is a shamrock node? If not, how do you know that every point is the boundary of six basins? – Karl Nov 11 '24 at 02:24
  • @Karl: "Do we know whether the Julia set is connected? Path-connected? Uncountable?" -- All fair Socratic questions. I was under the impression the answers are plainly: Yes., Yes., and Yes. (Though I'll research this; see below.) "Could it be that every point of the Julia set is a shamrock node?" -- There's a problem: My suggested naming+enumerating-scheme contains only countable-many points, and only those I call Shamrock Nodes. "If not, how do you know that every point is the boundary of six basins?" -- I need a day to review references on this specific claim (which I do recall). – user12262 Nov 11 '24 at 07:46
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    @Karl: To make a long story short -- https://math.stackexchange.com/q/4997209/277973 p.s. Concerning your above question about path-connectedness: My "plain Yes."-response to that specific question was not well considered (I apologize); but it might still be correct nevertheless. At any rate: I'd wonder whether this particular property would be relevant for addressing my OP question anyways. – user12262 Nov 11 '24 at 22:17
  • Makes sense! I was thinking aloud along the lines of the "covering $\Bbb R$ with intervals centered on points of $\Bbb Q$" problem. If we could find an infinitely long path in the Julia set and make each disc cover an arbitrarily short segment of it, we'd be done. – Karl Nov 11 '24 at 22:26
  • @Karl: "Makes sense!" -- Thank you. "I was thinking [...]" -- Well, I gather that we both understand and agree with this answer to the Q linked in my OP. But my OP question is only losely related, of course. But for full disclosure: Once terminology has been established here, I do indeed plan to ask a follow-up Q about compactness (Heine-Borel)! (Some hint shows in the "Appendix" picture.) p.s. I'll add an explicit "enumeration" in my OP; though these specifics shouldn't matter here either. – user12262 Nov 11 '24 at 22:54

1 Answers1

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I think the answer is no, for the same reason a collection of intervals that covers $\Bbb Q$ does not necessarily cover $\Bbb R$.

Start by placing one of the disks so that no shamrock points lie on its boundary $S$ (this is possible because there are countably many shamrock points and uncountably many radii to choose from), and then make each other disk small enough that it doesn't touch $S$. Now, assuming the Julia set is connected, it includes a point that is on $S$ and therefore not in any of the disks.

Karl
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  • "Start by placing one of the disks so that no shamrock points lie on its" -- (the first disk's) -- boundary $S$ [...] uncountably many radii to choose from"_ -- I'd welcome/require that you suggest and (perhaps even) justify a specific r value. (And that's difficult ...) "then make each other disk small enough that it doesn't touch" -- Declaring successively (much) smaller disk radii $r_k$ appears itself trivial. (And possible overlaps between subsequent disks are fine.) And I agree: This strategy guarantees a gap: A point of the Julia Set on $S$, and not covered by any disk. +1. – user12262 Nov 12 '24 at 07:32
  • The other disks can have shamrock points on their boundaries - we just need a single uncovered point in order to answer your question in the negative, and this will be on the boundary of the first disk. For the radius of the first (origin-centered) disk, use the distance from the origin to any non-shamrock point in the Julia set; this will be the uncovered point. In fact, given that a non-shamrock point exists, just take every disk small enough to exclude it. – Karl Nov 12 '24 at 07:32
  • Karl: You're right. I had changed my comment meanwhile (very recently). +1. But I'd still like to see a specific radius value for the first disk. – user12262 Nov 12 '24 at 07:35
  • Finding such a radius amounts to finding a non-shamrock point. These correspond to infinite sequences of branch choices (along the lines of your labeling scheme) in the same way that irrational numbers correspond to infinite decimal representations or infinite Cauchy sequences of rationals. – Karl Nov 12 '24 at 07:38
  • "Such a radius amounts to finding a non-shamrock [node]." -- Right. I accept that non-shamrock nodes exist (since I declared the Shamrock Nodes as only those captured with my countable labeling scheme). "These correspond to infinite sequences of branch choices (along the lines of your labeling scheme) in the same way that irrational numbers correspond to infinite decimal rep.s or infinite Cauchy seq.s of rationals." -- Right, I got that. But please note my OP title question, too: How should disk radii be selected/shaped to obtain a cover of the Julia set? And: Minimally ?!? – user12262 Nov 12 '24 at 07:57