Iterated function systems of holomorphic maps

We unify and advance a host of works on iterated function systems of holomorphic self-maps of hyperbolic Riemann surfaces. Our foremost result is a generalisation to left iterated function systems of an unpublished and little known theorem of Heins on iteration in the unit disc. Applications abound – to work of Benini et al on transcendental dynamics, to the theory of hyperbolic steps of holomorphic maps, and to left semiconjugacy in the unit disc. We extend other work of Benini et al and Ferreira on relatively compact left iterated functions, and we prove a hyperbolic distance inequality for holomorphic maps that generalises a theorem of Bracci, Kraus, and Roth. Additionally, we strengthen results of the first author and Christodoulou on left iterated function systems, removing the need for Bloch domains, and we answer an open question from their work. Finally, we establish a version of the Heins theorem for right iterated functions systems, and we generalise theorems of Beardon and Kuznetsov on right iterated function systems in relatively compact semigroups of holomorphic maps.