Define the continued fraction expansion of θ∈R, and show that this expansion terminates if and only if θ∈Q.
Define the convergents (pn/qn)n⩾−1 of the continued fraction expansion of θ, and show that for all n⩾0,
pnqn−1−pn−1qn=(−1)n−1.
Deduce that if θ∈R\Q, then for all n⩾0, at least one of
∣∣∣∣∣θ−qnpn∣∣∣∣∣<2qn21 and ∣∣∣∣∣θ−qn+1pn+1∣∣∣∣∣<2qn+121
must hold.
[You may assume that θ lies strictly between pn/qn and pn+1/qn+1 for all n⩾0. ]