Symmetric and asymmetric Diophantine approximation (Q1430008)

Let \(x\) be an irrational number with simple continued fraction expansion \[ [a_0;a_1,\dots ,a_n,\dots]= [a_0;a_1,\dots ,a_n+1/x_{n+1}], \] convergents \(p_n/q_n=[a_0;a_1,\dots ,a_n]\) and remainders \(x_{n+1}=[a_{n+1};a_{n+2},\dots]\). The well-known identity \(x-p_n/q_n =(-1)^n/(q_n(x_{n+1}q_n+q_{n-1}))\) can be written in the form \(x-p_n/q_n =(-1)^n/(C_n q_n q_{n+1})\) by putting \(y_{n+1}=q_{n+1}/q_n=[a_{n+1};a_n,\dots,a_1]\) and introducing the approximation constants \(C_n= 1+1/(x_{n+2}y_{n+1})\) which are of interest in Diophantine approximation. The author proves the following Borel type theorem involving triples of consecutive convergents which generalizes some of his earlier results [cf. Bull. Soc. Math. Fr. 117, No. 1, 59--67 (1989; Zbl 0684.10030), J. Aust. Math. Soc., Ser. A 51, No. 2, 324--330 (1991; Zbl 0739.11026) and Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 105, No. 3, 535--539 (1989; Zbl 0663.10007)]. Given two real numbers \(r>1,R>1\), let \(L=1/(r-1)+1/(R-1)+a_n a_{n+1} rR\), \(K={1\over 2}\left(L+(L^2-4/((r-1)(R-1))^{1/2}\right)\). Then \(C_{n-2}<r, C_{n}<R\) imply \(C_{n-1}>K\), and \(C_{n-2}>r, C_{n}>R\) imply \(C_{n-1}<K\).