English

Continued fractions and heavy sequences

Number Theory 2009-11-12 v1 Dynamical Systems

Abstract

We initiate the study of the sets H(c)H(c), 0<c<10<c<1, of real xx for which the sequence (kx)k1(kx)_{k\geq1} (viewed mod 1) consistently hits the interval [0,c)[0,c) at least as often as expected (i. e., with frequency c\geq c). More formally, H(c)={αRcard({1kn<kα><c})cn,foralln1}. H(c)=\{\alpha\in \mathbf R\mid {\rm card}(\{1\leq k\leq n\mid < k\alpha><c\})\geq cn, {for all}n\geq1\}. where <x>=x[x]<x>=x-[x] stands for the fractional part of xRx\in \mathbb R. We prove that, for rational cc, the sets H(c)H(c) are of positive Hausdorff dimension and, in particular, are uncountable. For integers m1m\geq1, we obtain a surprising characterization of the numbers αHm=H(1m)\alpha\in H_m= H(\frac1m) in terms of their continued fraction expansions: The odd entries (partial quotients) of these expansions are divisible by mm. The characterization implies that xHmx\in H_m if and only if 1mxHm\frac 1{mx} \in H_m, for x>0x>0. We are unaware of a direct proof of this equivalence, without making a use of the mentioned characterization of the sets HmH_m. We also introduce the dual sets H^m\hat H_m of reals yy for which the sequence of integers ([ky])k1\big([ky]\big)_{k\geq1} consistently hits the set mZm\mathbb Z with the at least expected frequency 1m\frac1m and establish the connection with the sets HmH_m: {2mm} If xy=mxy=m for x,y>0x,y>0, then xHmx\in H_m if and only if yH^my\in \hat H_m. The motivation for the present study comes from Y. Peres's ergodic lemma.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0911.2054,
  title  = {Continued fractions and heavy sequences},
  author = {Michael Boshernitzan and David Ralston},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0911.2054},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

9 pages

R2 v1 2026-06-21T14:10:03.443Z