The unreasonable effectualness of continued function expansions (Q4658690)

Many generalizations of continued fractions having nice properties have been studied. In this paper the author shows that the \(f\)-function introduced by \textit{B. H. Bissinger} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 50, 868--876 (1944; Zbl 0060.16302)] can be chosen so that the expansions of prescribed real numbers can have essentially any desired behaviour. He proves the following. Theorem 1. For any two real numbers \(x\), \(y\in(0,1)\), there exists a function \(f\) such that the \(f\)-expansion of \(x\) is the same as the usual continued fraction expansion of \(y\). Theorem 2. There exists a function \(f\) such that the \(f\)-expansion of any rational or quadratic irrational terminates. Theorem 3. There exists a function \(f\) such that the \(f\)-expansion of a real number \(x\) is periodic if and only if \(x\) is a cubic irrational number. Theorem 4. There exists a function \(f\) such that, simultaneously for every integer \(d\geq 1\) a real number \(x\) is algebraic of degree \(d\) if and only if the \(f\)-expansion of \(x\) terminates with the integer \(d+1\). In all four theorems, the cardinality of the set of functions \(f\) satisfying the given property is that of the continuum. A surprising generalization of Theorem 4 is also mentioned. A particular one-parameter family of the power functions \(f_\alpha(x)=x^{-\alpha}\) (\(\alpha>0\)) is considered.