A3.9

Number Theory
Part II, 2003

(i) Let x2x \geqslant 2 be a real number and let P(x)=px(11p)1P(x)=\prod_{p \leqslant x}\left(1-\frac{1}{p}\right)^{-1}, where the product is taken over all primes pxp \leqslant x. Prove that P(x)>logxP(x)>\log x.

(ii) Define the continued fraction of any positive irrational real number xx. Illustrate your definition by computing the continued fraction of 1+31+\sqrt{3}.

Suppose that a,b,ca, b, c are positive integers with b=acb=a c and that xx has the periodic continued fraction [b,a,b,a,][b, a, b, a, \ldots]. Prove that x=12(b+b2+4c)x=\frac{1}{2}\left(b+\sqrt{b^{2}+4 c}\right).