Paper 3, Section II, H

Number Theory | Part II, 2015

Let θ\theta be a real number with continued fraction expansion [a0,a1,a2,]\left[a_{0}, a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots\right]. Define the convergents pn/qnp_{n} / q_{n} (by means of recurrence relations) and show that for β>0\beta>0 we have

[a0,a1,,an1,β]=βpn1+pn2βqn1+qn2\left[a_{0}, a_{1}, \ldots, a_{n-1}, \beta\right]=\frac{\beta p_{n-1}+p_{n-2}}{\beta q_{n-1}+q_{n-2}}

Show that

θpnqn<1qnqn+1\left|\theta-\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}\right|<\frac{1}{q_{n} q_{n+1}}

and deduce that pn/qnθp_{n} / q_{n} \rightarrow \theta as nn \rightarrow \infty.

By computing a suitable continued fraction expansion, find solutions in positive integers xx and yy to each of the equations x253y2=4x^{2}-53 y^{2}=4 and x253y2=7x^{2}-53 y^{2}=-7.

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