Periodicity properties of \(p\)-adic continued fractions (Q913861)

One of the ways of expanding a \(p\)-adic number into a continued fraction has been given by \textit{Th. Schneider} [Symp. Math. 4, 181--189 (1970; Zbl 0222.10035)]. Recently \textit{B. M. M. de Weger} [Elem. Math. 43, 112--116 (1988; Zbl 0701.11066)] noted that Lagrange's theorem on the periodicity of continued fraction expansions of quadratic irrationalities does not hold in this case. The author proves an analogue of another result of Lagrange dealing with the symmetry of the period in the case when a quadratic root of a \(p\)-adic unit lying in \(\mathbb Q\) belongs to \(\mathbb Q_p\) and has a periodic expansion.