Spectral properties of a class of operators associated with conformal maps in two dimensions

Iff is a rational map of the Riemann sphere, define the transfer operator by Let also be the Banach space of functions for which the second derivatives are measures. Ifg andg satisfies a simple integrability condition (implying thatg vanishes at critical points and multiple poles off) then is a bounded linear operator on . The essential spectral radius of can be estimated and, under suitable conditions, proved to be strictly less than the spectral radius. Similar estimates for more general operators are also obtained.