连分数

作者

李 辉

发布于

2026年4月2日

连分数 (Continued Fractions)

\[ a_0 + \frac{1}{a_1 + \frac{1}{a_2 + \frac{1}{ \ddots + \frac{1}{a_n} }}} \] 一个(有限)连分数,其中 \(n\) 为非负整数,\(a_0\) 为整数,\(a_i\) 为正整数(\(i=1,\cdots,n\))。 通常记作: \[ [a_0, a_1, \cdots, a_n] \] —

例 1 \[ \frac{415}{93} = 4 + \frac{1}{2 + \frac{1}{6 + \frac{1}{7}}} \]

\[ [4, 2, 6, 7] \]

习题 1 尝试将 \(\frac{1999}{233}\) 转换为连分数的形式。


与欧几里得算法的关系

\[ 415 = 4 \times 93 + 43 \]

\[ 93 = 2 \times 43 + 7 \]

\[ 43 = 6 \times 7 + 1 \]

\[ 7 = 7 \times 1 \]

\[ [4, 2, 6, 7] \] —

数的表示

  • 黄金比例 \(\phi\):\([1, 1, 1, \cdots]\)

证. \[ \phi = \frac{1}{\phi-1}, \quad \phi = \frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2} \approx 1.618 \] 所以, \[ \phi = 1 + (\phi-1) = 1 + \frac{1}{\frac{1}{\phi-1}} = 1 + \frac{1}{\phi} \square \]


  • \(\sqrt{2}\):\([1, 2, 2, 2, \cdots]\)

证. \[ 1+\sqrt{2} = 2 + (\sqrt{2}-1) = 2 + \frac{1}{\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}-1}} = 2 + \frac{1}{1 + \sqrt{2}} = [2, 2, 2, 2, \cdots] \] 所以, \[ \sqrt{2} = [1, 2, 2, 2, \cdots] \square \]


定义 1 \([a_0, a_1, \cdots, a_k]\) 称为 \([a_0, a_1, \cdots, a_n]\) 的第 \(k\) 个渐近分数 (Convergent)(\(0 \le k \le n\))。


例 2 前四个渐近分数为: \[ \left\{\frac{a_0}{1}, \frac{a_1a_0 + 1}{a_1}, \frac{a_2(a_1a_0 + 1) + a_0}{a_2a_1 + 1}, \frac{a_3(a_2(a_1a_0 + 1) + a_0) + (a_1a_0 + 1)}{a_3(a_2a_1 + 1) + a_1}\right\} \]

 

\[ \{p_0, p_1, p_2, p_3\} = \left\{a_0, a_1a_0 + 1, a_2(a_1a_0 + 1) + a_0, a_3(a_2(a_1a_0 + 1) + a_0) + (a_1a_0 + 1)\right\} \]

\[ \{q_0, q_1, q_2, q_3\} = \left\{1, a_1, a_2a_1 + 1, a_3(a_2a_1 + 1) + a_1\right\} \]

其递推公式为: \[ p_k = a_k p_{k-1} + p_{k-2} \]

\[ q_k = a_k q_{k-1} + q_{k-2} \]


\(k\) 0 1 2 3
\(a_k\) 4 2 6 7
\(p_k\) 4 9 58 415
\(q_k\) 1 2 13 93
\(p_k/q_k\) 4/1 9/2 58/13 415/93

\(k\) -2 -1 0 1 2 3
\(a_k\) ^ ^ 4 2 6 7
\(p_k\) 0 1 4 9 58 415
\(q_k\) 1 0 1 2 13 93

定理 1 \[ [a_0, a_1, \cdots, a_k] = \frac{p_k}{q_k} \]

证. \[ \frac{p_0}{q_0} = \frac{a_0 p_{-1} + p_{-2}}{a_0 q_{-1} + q_{-2}} = \frac{a_0 \cdot 1}{1} = a_0。 \] 假设结论对 \(k\) 成立。 \[ [a_0, a_1, \cdots, a_{k+1}] = \left[ a_0, a_1, \cdots, a_{k-1}, a_k + \frac{1}{a_{k+1}} \right] = \frac{p_k'}{q_k'} \]


\[ = \frac{\left(a_k + \frac{1}{a_{k+1}}\right) p_{k-1}' + p_{k-2}'}{\left(a_k + \frac{1}{a_{k+1}}\right) q_{k-1}' + q_{k-2}'} = \frac{(a_k a_{k+1} + 1) p_{k-1}' + a_{k+1} p_{k-2}'}{(a_k a_{k+1} + 1) q_{k-1}' + a_{k+1} q_{k-2}'} \]

\[ = \frac{a_{k+1}(a_k p_{k-1}' + p_{k-2}') + p_{k-1}'}{a_{k+1}(a_k q_{k-1}' + q_{k-2}') + q_{k-1}'} = \frac{a_{k+1}(a_k p_{k-1} + p_{k-2}) + p_{k-1}}{a_{k+1}(a_k q_{k-1} + q_{k-2}) + q_{k-1}} = \frac{a_{k+1} p_k + p_{k-1}}{a_{k+1} q_k + q_{k-1}} = \frac{p_{k+1}}{q_{k+1}} \]

\[ (p_{k-2}' = p_{k-2}, \quad p_{k-1}' = p_{k-1}; \quad q_{k-2}' = q_{k-2}, \quad q_{k-1}' = q_{k-1}) \square \]


对于实数 \(x\),计算整数 \(a_0, a_1, \cdots\),使得 \(a_0 = \lfloor x \rfloor\)。 \[ x = a_0 + \frac{1}{a_1 + \frac{1}{a_2 + \frac{1}{ \ddots }}} \] \(x_1 = \frac{1}{x-a_0}\),则 \(a_1 = \lfloor x_1 \rfloor\),

\(x_2 = \frac{1}{x_1-a_1}\),则 \(a_2 = \lfloor x_2 \rfloor\),以此类推。


定理 2 \[ p_{k-1} q_k - q_{k-1} p_k = (-1)^k。 \]

证. (利用数学归纳法) \[ p_{-2} q_{-1} - q_{-2} p_{-1} = (-1)^{-1}。 \] 假设结论对 \(k\) 成立。 \[ p_{k} q_{k+1} - q_{k} p_{k+1} = p_k (a_{k+1} q_k + q_{k-1}) - q_k (a_{k+1} p_k + p_{k-1}) = p_k q_{k-1} - q_k p_{k-1} = -(q_k p_{k-1} - p_k q_{k-1}) = (-1) (-1)^k = (-1)^{k+1} \square \]

推论 1 \[ \frac{p_{k-1}}{q_{k-1}} - \frac{p_k}{q_k} = \frac{(-1)^k}{q_k q_{k-1}} \]


推论 2 \(\gcd(p_k, q_k) = 1\)

如果 \(p_k\) 和 \(q_k\) 有非平凡公因数,那么它必须能整除 \(p_k q_{k-1} - q_k p_{k-1}\),而这是不可能的。

推论 3 \[ p_{k-2} q_k - q_{k-2} p_k = (-1)^{k-1} a_k \]

证. \[ p_{k-1} q_k - q_{k-1} p_k = (-1)^k \]

\[ a_k p_{k-1} q_k - a_k q_{k-1} p_k = (-1)^k a_k \]

\[ (p_k - p_{k-2}) q_k - (q_k - q_{k-2}) p_k = (-1)^k a_k \]

\[ p_{k-2} q_k - q_{k-2} p_k = (-1)^{k+1} a_k \square \]


\[ \frac{p_{k-2}}{q_{k-2}} - \frac{p_k}{q_k} = \frac{(-1)^{k-1} a_k}{q_{k-2} q_k} \Rightarrow \begin{cases} > 0 & k \text{ 是奇数} \\ < 0 & k \text{ 是偶数} \end{cases} \]

\[ \Rightarrow \frac{p_0}{q_0} < \frac{p_2}{q_2} < \frac{p_4}{q_4} \cdots \]

\[ \Rightarrow \frac{p_1}{q_1} > \frac{p_3}{q_3} > \frac{p_5}{q_5} \cdots \]


偶数项递增且有奇数项作为上界;奇数项递减且有偶数项作为下界。因此两序列均收敛且趋于一致。

所以偶数项序列和奇数项序列都收敛到同一个实数 \(x\),即: 当 \(n \rightarrow \infty\) 时,\(\frac{p_n}{q_n} \rightarrow x\)。 \[ \frac{p_0}{q_0} < \frac{p_2}{q_2} < \frac{p_4}{q_4} < \cdots < x < \cdots < \frac{p_3}{q_3} < \frac{p_1}{q_1} \]

\[ \left| \frac{p_n}{q_n} - \frac{p_{n+1}}{q_{n+1}} \right| = \frac{1}{q_n q_{n+1}} \rightarrow 0 \quad (\text{当 } n \rightarrow \infty) \]

\[ \left| x - \frac{p_n}{q_n} \right| \le \left| \frac{p_n}{q_n} - \frac{p_{n+1}}{q_{n+1}} \right| = \frac{1}{q_n q_{n+1}} \le \frac{1}{q_n^2} \square \] —

定理 3 \(^{\star\star\star}\) 在每两个连续的渐近分数中,至少有一个满足: \[ \left| x - \frac{p_k}{q_k} \right| \le \frac{1}{2q_k^2} \]

证. \(^{\star\star\star}\) \[ \left| \frac{p_n}{q_n} - \frac{p_{n+1}}{q_{n+1}} \right| = \frac{1}{q_n q_{n+1}} \le \frac{1}{2q_n^2} + \frac{1}{2q_{n+1}^2} \]

\[ \left| x - \frac{p_n}{q_n} \right| + \left| x - \frac{p_{n+1}}{q_{n+1}} \right| = \left| \frac{p_n}{q_n} - \frac{p_{n+1}}{q_{n+1}} \right| \le \frac{1}{2q_n^2} + \frac{1}{2q_{n+1}^2} \]

\[ \Rightarrow \left| x - \frac{p_n}{q_n} \right| \le \frac{1}{2q_n^2} \quad \text{或} \quad \left| x - \frac{p_{n+1}}{q_{n+1}} \right| \le \frac{1}{2q_{n+1}^2} \square \]


定理 4 \(^{\star\star\star}\) 在每三个连续的渐近分数中,至少有一个满足: \[ \left| x - \frac{p_k}{q_k} \right| \le \frac{1}{\sqrt{5} q_k^2} \]

证. \(^{\star\star\star}\) 假设结论不成立。 即对于 \(n, n+1, n+2\),均有 \(\left| x - \frac{p_k}{q_k} \right| > \frac{1}{\sqrt{5} q_k^2}\)。 \[ \left| x - \frac{p_n}{q_n} \right| + \left| x - \frac{p_{n+1}}{q_{n+1}} \right| = \left| \frac{p_n}{q_n} - \frac{p_{n+1}}{q_{n+1}} \right| = \frac{1}{q_n q_{n+1}} > \frac{1}{\sqrt{5} q_n^2} + \frac{1}{\sqrt{5} q_{n+1}^2} \]

\[ \Rightarrow \sqrt{5} > \frac{q_{n+1}}{q_n} + \frac{q_n}{q_{n+1}} \Rightarrow \frac{q_{n+1}}{q_n} < \frac{\sqrt{5}+1}{2} \]


函数 \(f(x) = x + \frac{1}{x}\) 在 \((1, \infty)\) 上严格递增,所以 \[ \frac{q_n}{q_{n+1}} = \frac{1}{\frac{q_{n+1}}{q_n}} > \frac{\sqrt{5}-1}{2} \] 同样,\(\frac{q_{n+2}}{q_{n+1}} < \frac{\sqrt{5}+1}{2}\),但是 \[ \frac{q_{n+2}}{q_{n+1}} = \frac{a_{n+2} q_{n+1} + q_n}{q_{n+1}} = a_{n+2} + \frac{q_n}{q_{n+1}} \ge 1 + \frac{\sqrt{5}-1}{2} = \frac{\sqrt{5}+1}{2} \] 产生矛盾。\(\square\)


连分数有什么用?

  • 为实数提供良好的有理逼近。

  • \(\pi = [3, 7, 15, 1, 292, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, \cdots]\)

  • \(e = [2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 4, 1, 1, 6, 1, 1, 8, 1, 1, 10, \cdots]\)

  • 在数论中用于研究二次域和丢番图方程。

  • 一个实数 \(x\) 是二次无理数 (Quadratic surd) \(\left( \frac{P + \sqrt{D}}{Q} \right)\) 当且仅当它的连分数表示是周期性的 \([a_0, a_1, a_2, \dots, a_k, \overline{a_{k+1}, a_{k+2}, \dots, a_{k+m}}]\)。


习题 2 请将 \(\sqrt{71}\) 写成连分数的形式。