Continued fractions and Stern polynomials (Q1743622)

The Stern (diatomic) sequence \(\{a(n)\}_{n\ge0}\) is defined by \(a(0)=0, a(1)=1,\) and for \(n\ge1\) by \((\star)\!: a(2n)=a(n),\, a(2n+1)=a(n)+a(n+1).\) This sequence was independently extended in two directions to different kinds of Stern \textit{polynomials} by \textit{K. Dilcher} and \textit{K. B. Stolarsky} [Int. J. Number Theory 3, 85--103 (2007; Zbl 1117.11017)] and by \textit{S. Klavžar} et al. [Adv. Appl. Math. 39, 86--95 (2007; Zbl 1171.11016)], respectively. In the present paper, the authors provide generalizations of these two polynomial sequences as follows: Let \(s\in\{1,2\}\) and \(t\in\mathbb{N}\) be fixed parameters. Then the type-\(s\) generalized Stern polynomials \(a_{s,t}(n;z)\) are polynomials in \(z\) defined by \(a_{s,t}(0;z)=0, a_{s,t}(1;z)=1,\) and for \(n\ge1\) by \\ \((\star\star)\!\!: a_{s,t}(2n;z)=z^{2-s}a_{s,t}(n;z^t), \; a_{s,t}(2n+1;z)=a_{s,t}(n+1;z^t)+z^{s-1}a_{s,t}(n;z^t),\) \\ note that \(\{2-s,s-1\}=\{0,1\}\) for both \(s\). By comparing \((\star\star)\) with \((\star)\), one sees that both sequences reduce to the Stern (diatomic) sequence for \(z=1\). Moreover, the terms of the sequence \(\{a_{1,1}(n;z)\}\) are the Stern polynomials introduced by Klavžar et al. [loc. cit.], whereas \(\{a_{2,2}(n;z)\}\) is the sequence of Stern polynomials introduced by Dilcher et al. [loc. cit.]. By using specific subsequences of the above type-1 and type-2 generalized Stern polynomials, the authors obtain several classes of finite and infinite continued fractions involving a single term \(z^{t^j}\) in their partial numerators.