Continued fractions over non-Euclidean imaginary quadratic rings (Q2109423): Difference between revisions

Let \(\mathbb{Z}[i]\) be a Gaussian ring. Hurwitz proposed an approximation algorithm for any complex number by a complex continued fraction where coefficients \(a_n, b_n \in\mathbb{Z}[i]\). Many properties possessed by this algorithm over \(\mathbb{Z}\) still hold over \(\mathbb{Z}[i]\). But the application of continued fractions over imaginary quadratic fields is restricted when discriminant \(\Delta=-3, -7,-8, -11\). An algorithm with a similar structure to that of Hurwitz is investigated in the paper for the arbitrary imaginary quadratic field. The novelty of the algorithm is that there is no restriction to the five Euclidean cases. Many characteristic properties of classical continued fractions are preserved. Continued fractions are exponential convergent and had placed the quality of the best-second approximation (up to a constant). The quadratic irrational expansions are periodic.