Introduction to Diophantine Approximations: New Expanded Edition

by Serge Lang

Overview

The aim of this book is to illustrate by significant special examples three aspects of the theory of Diophantine approximations: the formal relationships that exist between counting processes and the functions entering the theory; the determination of these functions for numbers given as classical numbers; and certain asymptotic estimates holding almost everywhere.

Each chapter works out a special case of a much broader general theory, as yet unknown. Indications for this are given throughout the book, together with reference to current publications. The book may be used in a course in number theory, whose students will thus be put in contact with interesting but accessible problems on the ground floor of mathematics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780387944562
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	06/29/1995
Series:	Springer Books on Elementary Mathematics
Edition description:	2nd expanded ed. 1995
Pages:	130
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.02(d)

Table of Contents

I General Formalism.- §1. Rational Continued Functions.- §2. The Continued Fraction of a Real Number.- §3. Equivalent Numbers.- §4. Intermediate Convergents.- II Asymptotic Approximations.- §1. Distribution of the Convergents.- §2. Numbers of Constant Type.- §3. Asymptotic Approximations.- §4. Relation with Continued Fractions.- III Estimates of Averaging Sums.- §1. The Sum of the Remainders.- §2. The Sum of the Reciprocals.- §3. Quadratic Exponential Sums.- §4. Sums with More General Functions.- IV Quadratic Irrationalities.- §1. Quadratic Numbers and Periodicity.- §2. Units and Continued Fractions.- §3. The Basic Asymptotic Estimate.- V The Exponential Function.- §1. Some Continued Functions.- §2. The Continued Fraction for e.- §3. The Basic Asymptotic Estimate.- Appendix A Some Computations in Diophantine Approximations.- Appendix B Continued Fractions for Some Algebraic Numbers.- Appendix C Addendum to Continued Fractions for Some Algebraic Numbers.