Parabolic limits of renormalization

A unimodal map f : [0, 1] --> [0, 1] is renormalizable if there is a sub-in terval I subset of [0, 1] and an n > 1 such that f(n)\(1) is unimodal. The renormalization of f is fn Ir rescaled to the unit interval. We extend the well-known classification of limits of renormalization of uni modal maps with bounded combinatorics to a classification of the limits of renormalization of unimodal maps with essentially bounded combinatorics. To gether with results of Lyubich on the limits of renormalization with essent ially unbounded combinatorics, this completes the combinatorial description of limits of renormalization. The techniques are based on the towers of Mc Mullen and on the local analysis around perturbed parabolic points. We defi ne a parabolic tower to be a sequence of unimodal maps related by renormliz ation or parabolic renormalization. We state and prove the combinatorial ri gidity of bi-infinite parabolic towers with complex bounds and essentially bounded combinatorics, which implies the main theorem. As an example we construct a natural unbounded analogue of the period-doubl ing fixed point of renormalization, called the essentially period-tripling fixed point.