Skip to main content
Log in

Continued fraction expansions with variable numerators

  • Published:
The Ramanujan Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A new continued fraction expansion algorithm, the so-called \(a/b\)-expansion, is introduced and some of its basic properties, such as convergence of the algorithm and ergodicity of the underlying dynamical system, have been obtained. Although seemingly a minor variation of the regular continued fraction (RCF) expansion and its many variants (such as Nakada’s \(\alpha \)-expansions, Schweiger’s odd- and even-continued fraction expansions, and the Rosen fractions), these \(a/b\)-expansions behave very differently from the RCF and many important question remains open, such as the exact form of the invariant measure, and the “shape” of the natural extension.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. All almost sure statements in this paper are wrt. Lebesgue measure \(\lambda \).

References

  1. Anselm, M., Weintraub, S.H.: A generalization of continued fractions. J. Number Theory 131(12), 2442–2460 (2011)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. Bosma, W., Jager, H., Wiedijk, F.: Some metrical observations on the approximation by continued fractions. Nederl. Akad. Wetensch. Indag. Math. 45(3), 281–299 (1983)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. Burger, E.B., Gell-Redman, J., Kravitz, R., Walton, D., Yates, N.: Shrinking the period lengths of continued fractions while still capturing convergents. J. Number Theory 128(1), 144–153 (2008)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. Bankier, J.D., Leighton, W.: Numerical continued fractions. Am. J. Math. 64, 653–668 (1942)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  5. Burton, R.M., Kraaikamp, C., Schmidt, T.A.: Natural extensions for the Rosen fractions. Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 352(3), 1277–1298 (2000)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  6. Choe, G.H.: Generalized continued fractions. Appl. Math. Comput. 109(2–3), 287–299 (2000)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Choe, G.H.: Computational ergodic theory, algorithms and computation in mathematics, vol. 13. Springer-Verlag, Berlin (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Dajani, K., Kraaikamp, C.: Ergodic theory of numbers. Carus Mathematical Monographs, vol. 29. Mathematical Association of America, Washington DC (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Dajani, K., Kraaikamp, C., van der Wekken, N.: Ergodicity of \(N\)-continued fraction expansions. J. Number Theory 133(9), 3183–3204 (2013)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  10. Hartono, Y., Kraaikamp, C., Schweiger, F.: Algebraic and ergodic properties of a new continued fraction algorithm with non-decreasing partial quotients. J. Théor. Nombres Bordeaux 14(2), 497–516 (2002)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  11. Iosifescu, M., Kraaikamp, C.: Metrical theory of continued fractions. Mathematics and its applications. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht (2002)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  12. Jager, H., Kraaikamp, C.: On the approximation by continued fractions. Nederl. Akad. Wetensch. Indag. Math. 51(3), 289–307 (1989)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Khintchine, A.: Metrische Kettenbruchprobleme. Compos. Math. 1, 361–382 (1935)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Langeveld, N.D.S.: Wat is de invariante maat van de gegeneraliseerde kettingbreukafbeelding?, Bachelor Thesis, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Delft, 2012. http://repository.tudelft.nl/search/ir/?q=langeveld%2C+N.D.S.&faculty=&department=&type=&year=

  15. Lévy, P.: Sur le loi de probabilité dont dependent les quotients complets et incomplets d’une fraction continue. Bull. Soc. Math. de France 57, 178–194 (1929)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Leighton, W.: Proper continued fractions. Am. Math. Monthly 4(7), 274–280 (1940)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  17. Nakada, H.: Metrical theory for a class of continued fraction transformations and their natural extensions. Tokyo J. Math. 4(2), 399–426 (1981)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  18. Nakada, H.: Continued fractions, geodesic flows and Ford circles. In: Takahashi, Y. (ed.) Algorithms, fractals and dynamics, pp. 179–191. Plenum Press, New York (1995)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  19. Oppenheim, A.: A note on continued fractiona. Can. J. Math. 12, 303–308 (1960)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  20. Schweiger, F.: Continued fractions with odd and even partial quotients. Arbeitbericht Mathematisches Institut Salzburg 4, 59–70 (1982)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Schweiger, F.: On the approximation by continued fractions with odd and even partial quotients. Arbeitbericht Mathematisches Institut Salzburg 1–2, 105–114 (1984)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Schweiger, S.: Invariant measures for maps of continued fraction type. J. Number Theory 39(2), 162–174 (1991)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  23. Schweiger, S.: Ergodic theory of fibred systems and metric number theory. Oxford Science Publications, The Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press, New York (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Van der Wekken, C.D.: Lost periodicity in N-continued fraction expansions, Bachelor Thesis, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Delft, 2011. http://repository.tudelft.nl/view/ir/uuid:67317fff-f3e3-44e4-8e59-51e70782705e/

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cor Kraaikamp.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dajani, K., Kraaikamp, C. & Langeveld, N.D.S. Continued fraction expansions with variable numerators. Ramanujan J 37, 617–639 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11139-014-9569-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11139-014-9569-4

Keywords

Mathematics Subject Classification

Navigation