On periodicity of \(p\)-adic Browkin continued fractions (Q6090607)

It's well known that a continued fraction gives the best rational approximations of real numbers. Periodic continued fractions characterize quadratic irrationals. Let \(p>2\) be a prime number. Let \(|\cdot|_p\) and \(|\cdot|_{\infty}\) the \(p\)-adic and the Euclidean norm. For given \(\alpha \in \mathbb{Q}_p\) its \(p\)-adic continued fraction expansion is determined. Browkin's definition of \(p\)-adic continued fraction is investigated in this paper. There are many different definitions of \(p\)-adic continued fractions. Let's define the set \(\mathcal{Y}=\mathbb{Z}\big[\frac{1}{p}\big] \cap (-\frac{p}{2}, \frac{p}{2})\). Assume that a unique \(s(\alpha) \in\mathcal{Y}\) such that \(0\leq |\alpha-s(\alpha)|<1\) exists for given \(\alpha \in \mathbb{Q}_p\). The \(p\)-adic continued fraction expansion of alpha is determined using the following algorithm \[ \alpha_0=\alpha,\quad a_n=s(\alpha_n), \quad \alpha_{n+1}=\frac{1}{\alpha_n-a_n} \; \text{if}\; \alpha_n \neq a_n. \] The periodicity for \(p\)-adic continued fractions introduced by Browkin is investigate in the paper. Some necessary and sufficient conditions for the periodicity of Browkin's continued fraction expansion are given. A general procedure to construct square roots of integers having a periodic Browkin \(p\)-adic continued fraction expansion of prescribed even period length described. It is proved that for every \(n\geq 1\), a infinitely many \(\sqrt{m} \in \mathbb{Q}_p\) with periodic Browkin expansion of period \(2^n\) exists. Some illustrative examples are considered in the article.