Continued Fraction Representation

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 119 views

The Diophantine Equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ : A Mathematical Exploration

The Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ is a classic problem in number theory, which has been studied extensively by mathematicians for centuries. This equation is a type of Pell's equation, which is a quadratic Diophantine equation of the form $x^2 - Dy^2 = 1$ , where $D$ is a positive integer that is not a perfect square. In this article, we will explore the solutions of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ and show that it has infinite solutions.

To find solutions of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ , we can use a combination of mathematical techniques, including algebraic manipulations and number theory. One way to approach this problem is to use the method of continued fractions, which is a powerful tool for finding solutions of quadratic Diophantine equations.

Solution 1

One solution of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ is $(x, y) = (1, 0)$ . This solution can be verified by plugging in the values of $x$ and $y$ into the equation and checking that it satisfies the equation.

Solution 2

Another solution of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ is $(x, y) = (3, 2)$ . This solution can be verified by plugging in the values of $x$ and $y$ into the equation and checking that it satisfies the equation.

Solution 3

A third solution of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ is $(x, y) = (7, 6)$ . This solution can be verified by plugging in the values of $x$ and $y$ into the equation and checking that it satisfies the equation.

To show that the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ has infinite solutions, we can use the method of continued fractions. This method involves expressing the solution of the equation as a continued fraction and then using the properties of continued fractions to show that there are infinitely many solutions.

Continued Fraction Representation

The solution of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ can be represented as a continued fraction as follows:

x = [1; 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, ...]

y = [0; 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, ...]

This continued fraction representation shows that the solution of the equation is a repeating sequence of numbers, which indicates that there are infinitely many solutions.

Infinite Solutions

Using the continued fraction representation, we can show that there are infinitely many solutions of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ . This can be done by using the properties of continued fractions to generate an infinite sequence of solutions.

For example, we can use the continued fraction representation to generate the following sequence of solutions:

(x, y) = (1, 0), (3, 2), (7, 6), (17, 15), (41, 39), ...

This sequence of solutions shows that there are infinitely many solutions of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ .

In this article, we have explored the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ and shown that it has infinite solutions. We have used a combination of mathematical techniques, including algebraic manipulations and number theory, to find solutions of the equation and show that there are infinitely many solutions. The continued fraction representation of the solution has been used to generate an infinite sequence of solutions, which demonstrates the infinite nature of the solutions.

[1] Pell's Equation. In: Encyclopedia of Mathematics, Springer, 2014.
[2] Diophantine Equations. In: Number Theory: An Introduction, Springer, 2013.
[3] Continued Fractions. In: Number Theory: An Introduction, Springer, 2013.

For further reading on the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ , we recommend the following resources:

Pell's Equation. In: MathWorld, Wolfram Research, 2023.
Diophantine Equations. In: MathWorld, Wolfram Research, 2023.
Continued Fractions. In: MathWorld, Wolfram Research, 2023.
Q&A: The Diophantine Equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$

In our previous article, we explored the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ and showed that it has infinite solutions. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions about the Diophantine equation and provide additional insights into its properties and solutions.

A: The Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ is a quadratic Diophantine equation of the form $x^2 - Dy^2 = 1$ , where $D$ is a positive integer that is not a perfect square. In this case, $D = 2$ .

A: Some solutions of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ are:

$(x, y) = (1, 0)$
$(x, y) = (3, 2)$
$(x, y) = (7, 6)$
$(x, y) = (17, 15)$
$(x, y) = (41, 39)$

A: There are several methods for finding solutions of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ , including:

Using the method of continued fractions
Using the method of Pell's equation
Using the method of modular arithmetic

A: The Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ is important because it is a classic problem in number theory, and its solutions have many applications in mathematics and computer science. For example, the solutions of this equation can be used to construct efficient algorithms for solving other Diophantine equations.

A: Yes, you can use a computer to find solutions of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ . There are many computer programs and algorithms available that can be used to find solutions of this equation, including the PARI/GP computer algebra system.

A: Some applications of the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ include:

Cryptography: The solutions of this equation can be used to construct efficient algorithms for solving other Diophantine equations, which can be used in cryptography.
Coding theory: The solutions of this equation can be used to construct efficient algorithms for solving other Diophantine equations, which can be used in coding theory.
Computer science: The solutions of this equation can be used to construct efficient algorithms for solving other Diophantine equations, which can be used in computer science.

In this article, we have answered some frequently asked questions about the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ and provided additional insights into its properties and solutions. We hope that this article has been helpful in understanding this important equation and its many applications.

[1] Pell's Equation. In: Encyclopedia of Mathematics, Springer, 2014.
[2] Diophantine Equations. In: Number Theory: An Introduction, Springer, 2013.
[3] Continued Fractions. In: Number Theory: An Introduction, Springer, 2013.

For further reading on the Diophantine equation $x^2 - 2y^2 = 1$ , we recommend the following resources:

Pell's Equation. In: MathWorld, Wolfram Research, 2023.
Diophantine Equations. In: MathWorld, Wolfram Research, 2023.
Continued Fractions. In: MathWorld, Wolfram Research, 2023.