No label defined (Q4704604)

For any non-square natural number \(n\) one defines the set \[ \mathbb{Q}^* (\sqrt{n}):= \Biggl\{ \frac{a+\sqrt{n}}{c} \biggl|a,c\in \mathbb{Z},\;b:= \frac{a^2-n}{c}\in \mathbb{Z} \text{ and }(a,b,c)=1 \Biggr\}. \] For any element \(\alpha\) of \(\mathbb{Q}^* (\sqrt{n})\), let \(\overline{\alpha}:= \frac{a- \sqrt{n}}{c}\) be its conjugate. \(\alpha\) will be called totally positive if both \(\alpha\) and \(\overline{\alpha}\) are positive, totally negative if both \(\alpha\) and \(\overline{\alpha}\) are negative and ambiguous if \(\alpha\) and \(\overline{\alpha}\) have different signs. The authors obtain criteria for the elements of \(\mathbb{Q}^* (\sqrt{n})\) to be totally positive, totally negative or ambiguous and use them to study the behavior of the action of the modular group \(G= \langle x,y\mid x^2= y^3= 1\rangle\) on these elements.