On discrepancies of irrational rotations: an approach via rational rotation (Q682126)

For continued fractions, let \(a_n\) and \(p_n/q_n\) denote the \(n\)th partial quotient and the \(n\)th convergent, respectively. Let \(0<\alpha<1\) be an irrational number with a single isolated large quotient \(a_{\eta}\) in its continued fraction expansion. For example \(\alpha=\log_{10}7\) has \(a_{\eta}=4813\) for \(\eta=7\) and \(\alpha=\pi-3\) has \(a_{\eta}=292\) for \(\eta=4\). The authors give some estimates of discrepancies of irrational rotations based on such irrational numbers. For the initial segment of the graph of the discrepancy it is shown that if \(\eta \geq 3\) and \(n=\nu q_{\eta-1}\) \((0<\nu<a_{\eta})\), then \(D_n^*(\{n\alpha\})=\frac 1{q_{\eta -1}}(1-\Delta-\frac{\nu-1}{L})\), where \(\Delta=| q_{\eta-1}\alpha-p_{\eta-1}| \) and \(L=1/(q_{\eta-1}\Delta)\). For the next segment they also prove that for \(\eta\geq 3\) the following estimate holds \(nD_n^*(\{n\alpha\})=\nu (1-\Delta-\frac{\nu-1}{L})+\theta\) for \(n=q_{\eta+1}+\nu q_{\eta-1}\) if \(a_{\eta+1}=1\), for \(n=q_{\eta}+\nu q_{\eta-1}\) if \(a_{\eta+1}\geq 2\) and for \(0<\nu<a_{\eta}\), where \(0\leq \theta\leq 2\). Moreover it is derived that if \(\eta\geq 3\) and \(\lambda>\eta\), then \(nD_n^*(\{n\alpha\})=\nu (1-\Delta -\frac{\nu-1}{L})+\theta\) for \(n=q_{\lambda}+\nu q_{\eta-1}\), \(0<\nu<a_{\eta}\), where \(0\leq \theta\leq 2\).