Finite \(A_2\)-continued fractions in the problems of rational approximations of real numbers (Q6147992)

An \(A_2\)-continued fraction (\(A_2\)-fraction) is a continued fraction \(1/a_1+1/a_2+\dots+1/a_n=[0;a_1,a_2,\dots,a_n]\) all elements \(a_i\) of which belong to a two-element set \(\{e_0, e_1\}\), with \(0<e_0<e_1\). Consider a finite \(A_2\)-continued fraction where \(e_0=\frac{1}{2}\) and \(e_1=1\), and study the structure of the set \(F\) of values of finite \(A_2\)-continued fractions and the problem of the number of representations of numbers from the segment \(\left[\frac{1}{2},1\right]\) by fractions of this kind. It is proved that the set \(F\subset\left[\frac{1}{3},2\right]\) has a scale-invariant structure and is dense in the segment \(\left[\frac{1}{2},1\right]\) the set of its elements that are greater than \(1\) is the set of terms of two decreasing sequences approaching \(1\), while the set of its elements that are smaller than \(\frac{1}{2}\) is the set of terms of two increasing sequences approaching \(\frac{1}{2}\). The fundamental difference between the representations of numbers with the help of finite and infinite \(A_2\)-fractions is emphasized. The following hypothesis is formulated: every rational number from the segment \(\left[\frac{1}{2},1\right]\) can be represented in the form of a finite \(A_2\)-continued fraction.