Backward dynamics of non-expanding maps in Gromov hyperbolic metric spaces

Abstract: We study the interplay between the backward dynamics of a non-expanding self-map $f$ of a proper geodesic Gromov hyperbolic metric space $X$ and the boundary regular fixed points of $f$ in the Gromov boundary. To do so, we introduce the notion of stable dilation at a boundary regular fixed point of the Gromov boundary, whose value is related to the dynamical behaviour of the fixed point. This theory applies in particular to holomorphic self-maps of bounded domains $\Omega\subset\subset \mathbb{C}^q$, where $\Omega$ is either strongly pseudoconvex, convex finite type, or pseudoconvex finite type with $q=2$, and solves several open problems from the literature. We extend results of holomorphic self-maps of the disc $\mathbb{D}\subset \mathbb{C}$ obtained by Bracci and Poggi-Corradini. In particular, with our geometric approach we are able to answer a question, open even for the unit ball $\mathbb{B}^q\subset \mathbb{C}^q$, namely that for holomorphic parabolic self-maps any escaping backward orbit with bounded step always converges to a point in the boundary.