text: We consider the general question of estimating decay of correlations for non-uniformly expanding maps, for classes of observables which are much larger than the usual class of Holder continuous functions. Our results give new estimates for many non-uniformly expanding systems, including Manneville-Pomeau maps, many one-dimensional systems with critical points, and Viana maps. In many situations, we also obtain a Central Limit Theorem for a much larger class of observables than usual. Our main tool is an extension of the coupling method introduced by L.-S. Young for estimating rates of mixing on certain non-uniformly expanding tower maps.
  @cite_6: Subshifts of finite type a key symbolic model smooth uniformly expanding dynamics piecewise expanding systems hyperbolic systems.
summary: Let us now mention some other results concerning estimates on decay of correlations for non-H "older observables. Most of these are stated in the context of one-sided finite alphabet shift maps, or subshifts of finite type. (For a comprehensive discussion of shift maps and equilibrium measures, we suggest the book of Baladi, @cite_6 .) Shift maps are relatively simple dynamical systems, but are often used to more complicated systems via a semi-conjugacy, in much the same way that each of the examples we consider can be represented by a suitable (see ). Where a system @math being coded has an invariant measure @math which is absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure, @math is an equilibrium measure for the potential @math , where @math is the Jacobian with respect to Lebesgue measure. Most results for shift maps work with an equilibruim measure given by a potential @math which is H "older continuous (in terms of the usual metric on shift spaces - two sequences are said to be distance @math apart if they agree for exactly the first @math symbols). This assumption corresponds to assuming good distortion for @math .