Paper 4, Section II, I

Number Theory | Part II, 2013

(i) What is meant by the continued fraction expansion of a real number θ\theta ? Suppose that θ\theta has continued fraction [a0,a1,a2,]\left[a_{0}, a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots\right]. Define the convergents pn/qnp_{n} / q_{n} to θ\theta and give the recurrence relations satisfied by the pnp_{n} and qnq_{n}. Show that the convergents pn/qnp_{n} / q_{n} do indeed converge to θ\theta.

[You need not justify the basic order properties of finite continued fractions.]

(ii) Find two solutions in strictly positive integers to each of the equations

x210y2=1 and x211y2=1x^{2}-10 y^{2}=1 \quad \text { and } \quad x^{2}-11 y^{2}=1

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