Some generalizations of the Sₙ sequence of Shanks
We investigate and refine a device which we introduced in [3] for the study of continued fractions. This allows us to more easily compute the period lengths of certain continued fractions and it can be used to suggest some aspects of the cycle structure (see [1]) within the period of certain continued fractions related to underlying real quadratic fields.
It is well known that the continued fraction expansion of readily displays the midpoint of the principal cycle of ideals, that is, the point halfway to a solution of . Here we notice that, analogously, the point halfway to a solution of can be recognised. We explain what is going on.
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