Continued fractions and irrational rotations (Q1705215)

Let \(\alpha\) be a real number, and let \(p_n/q_n\) its \(n\)-th continued fraction convergent. The authors prove a formula for \(p_n q_k - q_n p_k\) in terms of the continued fractions coefficients with indices \(k+2, k+3, \dots, n\). More precisely, \(p_n q_k - q_n p_k\) can be expressed by means of a function \(Q_{n-k-1}(a_n, a_{n-1}, \dots, a_{k+3},a_{k+2})\), where \(Q_1, Q_2, \dots, \) is a sequence of functions that is defined inductively by a ``Fibonnacci-type'' recursion. This formula generalizes the classical equality \(p_n q_{n-1} - q_n p_{n-1}= (-1)^{n-1}\). The authors note that their formula can be used to locate the position of an irrational rotation on the torus, that is, of \(\{n \alpha\}\) modulo 1. This result is in the spirit of the classical observation that Kronecker sequences are closely related to the theory of continued fractions.