On the continued fraction expansion of quadratic formal power series over \(\mathbb{F}_2(X)\) (Q1971698)

Let \(f=\sum_{j\geq n}f_jX^{-j}\) be a formal Laurent series \((n\in \mathbb{Z})\) with coefficients in the finite field \(\mathbb{F}_2\). If \(f\) is quadratic, i.e. satisfies \(Af^2+Bf+C=0\), where \(A\neq 0\), \(B\) and \(C\) are in \(\mathbb{F}_2[X]\), it is well known that the continued fraction expansion of \(f\) is ultimately periodic. The author proves that the length of the period is at most \((2^{\deg B}-1)^2\) and that the degrees of the partial quotients appearing in the period are \(\leq\deg B\). The author has published generalizations of this result in the general case of \(\mathbb{F}_q\) in [Acta Arith. 97, 241--251 (2001; Zbl 1003.11033)].