On arithmetical nature of Tichy-Uitz's function (Q1959783)

Let \[ x=[a_{1},a_{2},a_{3},\ldots]= \cfrac{1}{ a_{1}+ \cfrac{1}{ a_{2}+ \cfrac{1}{ a_{3}+{\ddots},}}} \] \[ x=[[b_{1},b_{2},b_{3},\ldots]]=1-\cfrac{1}{ b_{1}- \cfrac{1}{ b_{2}- \cfrac{1}{ b_{3}-{\ddots}}}}, \] \(a_{i},b_{i}\in\mathbb{N}\), \(b_{i}\geq 2\), \(a_{i}\geq 1\), be a regular and, respectively, regular reduced (also known as semi-regular) continued fraction expansion of a real number \(x\in[0,1]\). A rational number has two expansions of both sorts: in the first case, the two differ by the ending: \([\ldots,a,1]\) and \([\ldots,a+1]\); we choose the latter expansion. In the second case, the endings look like \([[\ldots,a+1,2,2,2,\ldots]]\) and \([[\ldots,a]]\); we choose the last one, too. The Minkowski question mark function is defined as \[ ?([a_{1},a_{2},a_{3},\ldots])=2^{1 a_{1}}-2^{1-(a_{1}+a_{2})}+2^{1-(a_{1}+a_{2}+a_{3})}-\ldots,\quad x\in[0,1]. \] This function turns out to be equal to \[ ?(x)=\lim\limits_{n\rightarrow\infty} \frac{\sharp\{r=[a_{1},\ldots,a_{i}],\sum a_{j}=n,r\leq x]\}} {\sharp\{r=[a_{1},\ldots,a_{i}],\sum a_{j}=n]\}}. \] In the paper under review, the author considers analogous question for reduced continued fractions: find the function \[ \mathcal{M}(x)=\lim\limits_{n\rightarrow\infty} \frac{\sharp\{r=[[b_{1},\ldots,b_{i}]],\sum b_{j}=n,r\leq x]\}} {\sharp\{r=[[b_{1},\ldots,b_{i}]],\sum b_{j}=n]\}}. \] It appears, the answer is given by the following formula: \[ \mathcal{M}([a_{1},a_{2},a_{3}\ldots])= \tau^{2a_{1}-2}-\tau^{2a_{1}+a_{2}-2}+ \tau^{2a_{1}+a_{2}+2a_{3}-2}-\cdots; \] here \(\tau=\frac{\sqrt{5}-1}{2}\), and the multipliers of \(a_{i}\) alternate between \(2\) and \(1\) (note that the analytic expression is given in terms of regular continued fractions). This function coincides and is a special case of a family of functions earlier considered by Denjoy, and also \textit{R. F. Tichy} and \textit{J. Uitz} [Appl. Math. Lett. 8, No. 5, 39--46 (1995; Zbl 0871.26008)].