Shortest distance between multiple orbits and generalized fractal dimensions

Abstract: We consider rapidly mixing dynamical systems and link the decay of the shortest distance between multiple orbits with the generalized fractal dimension. We apply this result to multidimensional expanding maps and extend it to the realm of random dynamical systems. For random sequences, we obtain a relation between the longest common substring between multiple sequences and the generalized R\'enyi entropy. Applications to Markov chains, Gibbs states and the stochastic scrabble are given.