This book contains the lectures given at the Conference on Dynamics and Randomness held at the Centro de Modelamiento Matematico of the Universidad de Chile from December 11th to 15th, 2000. This meeting brought together mathematicians, theoretical physicists and theoretical computer scientists, and graduate students interested in fields re­ lated to probability theory, ergodic theory, symbolic and topological dynam­ ics. We would like to express our gratitude to all the participants of the con­ ference and to the people who contributed to its organization. In particular, to Pierre Collet, Bernard Host and Mike Keane for their scientific advise. VVe want to thank especially the authors of each chapter for their well­ prepared manuscripts and the stimulating conferences they gave at Santiago. We are also indebted to our sponsors and supporting institutions, whose interest and help was essential to organize this meeting: ECOS-CONICYT, FONDAP Program in Applied Mathematics, French Cooperation, Fundacion Andes, Presidential Fellowship and Universidad de Chile. We are grateful to Ms. Gladys Cavallone for their excellent work during the preparation of the meeting as well as for the considerable task of unifying the typography of the different chapters of this book.

This book contains the lectures given at the Conference on Dynamics and Randomness held at the Centro de Modelamiento Matematico of the Universidad de Chile from December 11th to 15th, 2000. This meeting brought together mathematicians, theoretical physicists and theoretical computer scientists, and graduate students interested in fields re­ lated to probability theory, ergodic theory, symbolic and topological dynam­ ics. We would like to express our gratitude to all the participants of the con­ ference and to the people who contributed to its organization. In particular, to Pierre Collet, Bernard Host and Mike Keane for their scientific advise. VVe want to thank especially the authors of each chapter for their well­ prepared manuscripts and the stimulating conferences they gave at Santiago. We are also indebted to our sponsors and supporting institutions, whose interest and help was essential to organize this meeting: ECOS-CONICYT, FONDAP Program in Applied Mathematics, French Cooperation, Fundacion Andes, Presidential Fellowship and Universidad de Chile. We are grateful to Ms. Gladys Cavallone for their excellent work during the preparation of the meeting as well as for the considerable task of unifying the typography of the different chapters of this book.