Best lower and upper approximates to irrational numbers (Q1373290)

For irrational \(\alpha\), the author defines a best lower approximate to \(\alpha\) as any rational \(p/q\) satisfying \(p/q< \alpha\) and \(q\alpha- p<c \alpha-b\) for every \(b/c< \alpha\) having \(c<q\); he then proves that the best lower approximates of \(\alpha\) are the even-indexed intermediate convergents of \(\alpha\), thus extending a result of \textit{O. Perron} on nearest approximates [Die Lehre von den Kettenbrüchen, Chelsea (1950; Zbl 0041.18206), pp. 55-63]. A similar result is proved for best upper approximates.