Criteria for the density of the graph of the entropy map restricted to ergodic states

Abstract: We consider a non-uniquely ergodic dynamical system given by a $\mathbb{Z}^{l}$-action (or $(\N\cup{0})^l$-action) $\tau$ on a non-empty compact metrisable space $\Omega$, for some $l\in\N$. Let (D) denote the following property: The graph of the restriction of the entropy map $h^\tau$ to the set of ergodic states is dense in the graph of $h^\tau$. We assume that $h^\tau$ is finite and upper semi-continuous. We give several criteria in order that (D) holds, each of which is stated in terms of a basic notion: Gateaux differentiability of the pressure map $P^\tau$ on some sets dense in the space $C(\Omega)$ of real-valued continuous functions on $\Omega$, level-2 large deviation principle, level-1 large deviation principle, convexity properties of some maps on $\R^n$ for all $n\in\N$. The one involving the Gateaux differentiability of $P^\tau$ is of particular relevance in the context of large deviations since it establishes a clear comparison with another well-known sufficient condition: We show that for each non-empty $\sigma$-compact subset $\Sigma$ of $C(\Omega)$, (D) is equivalent to the existence of an infinite dimensional vector space $V$ dense in $C(\Omega)$ such that $f+g$ has a unique equilibrium state for all $(f,g)\in \Sigma\times V\setminus{0}$; any Schauder basis $(f_n)$ of $C(\Omega)$ whose linear span contains $\Sigma$ admits an arbitrary small perturbation $(h_n)$ so that one can take $V=\textnormal{span}({f_n+h_n: n\in\N})$. Taking $\Sigma={0}$, the existence of an infinite dimensional vector space dense in $C(\Omega)$ constituted by functions admitting a unique equilibrium state is equivalent to (D) together with the uniqueness of measure of maximal entropy.