CONTINUED FRACTIONS OF FIBONACCI AND LUCAS RATIOS

BROTHER U. ALFRED
St. Mary's College, California

The p u r p o s e of this a r t i c l e is to lay the groundwork for continued

fraction r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s of F i b o n a c c i and Lucas r a t i o s .

We a s s u m e

the g e n e r a l t h e o r y of such f r a c t i o n s to be known and r e f e r the unfam i l i a r or r u s t y r e a d e r to the v e r y r e a d a b l e w o r k of C. D. Olds [ l ] .

This p a p e r w i l l deal with r a t i o s in which the Fibonacci and Lucas n u m b e r s e n t e r l i n e a r l y since such r e s u l t s a r e the s i m p l e s t and m o s t fundam e n t a l , being n e c e s s a r y for m o r e advanced d e v e l o p m e n t s .
1.

THE RATIO F

/F
n' n - a
Two c a s e s m a y be distinguished depending on w h e t h e r

a is odd

or even.
Case 1.

a = 2k-1
F

n/n-2k+l

2k-1

n-4k+2/Fn-2k+l

This devolves from the rela tion:

F

n~Fn-4k+2

2k-1 Fn-2k+l

The next p a r t i a l quotient r e s u l t s from the r e c i p r o c a l of the fraction

F

,. , J F
and hence is again L 0 1 . .
Thus for odd a, all
01 ,,
n-4k+2 / n-2k+l

2k-1
the p a r t i a l quotients a r e L 7 , , , the t e r m i n a t i o n depending on the value
of n modulo 2 k - 1 .
Example.

Fj-./F. .

T h e r e will be six p a r t i a l quotients L (29) after

which t h e r e will be a r e m a i n d e r
quotients 28, 1, 4.

c/Fio-

This

latter

g i v e s partial

Thus
F

54/F47

(29

6' 2 8 ' 1 ' 4 ) '

w h e r e the s u b s c r i p t 6 adjacent to 29 i n d i c a t e s the n u m b e r of t i m e s 29

a p p e a r s a s a p a r t i a l quotient.
Case 2.
a = 2k
It can be shown that
269

270

CONTINUED FRACTIONS OF FIBONACCI

December

F / F ? , = L-, - 1 + Fn~2k - F n-4k

ir n-Zk
2k
F nl
n-2k
Then
F

n-2k
- F
n-2k
n-4k

n-2k " F n-4k

_
F

n-4k
- F
n-2k
n-4k

Next

A.

'

2k"

, F n-4k "

L +

n-4k.

n-4k

Thus, there is a repeating pattern.

The first partial quotient is

this is followed by (1, L ? ,-2) as a repeated pattern,

after

n-6k

F - r
L?,-l;

the remainder

such partial quotient pairs being

F

n-2(r+l)k " F n-2(r+2)k

F

Example.

E 4 n /F~~

n-2(r+l)k

has a first partial quotient of

LQ-1 = 46 followed

by three sets (1, 45) and a remainder

F - F
*8
0
Thus
F

40/F32

which could also be represented

2.
Case 1.

C 4 6 ll>45)3>

[46, (1, 45) ? , 1, 46J

THE RATIO L / F
n
n-a

a odd

F
- L 9
-1+-2-*
?
a
F
n-a
where the relation 5F F
= L + L _ has been used in arriving
to
a n-a
n
n-2a
at this result.
L /F
n' n-a

= 5F

1964

AND LUCAS RATIOS

271

Then
F

n- - aL '
n-a
n-Za

o
n-Za
- L 0
n-a
n-Za

Next
F

- L
n-a
L-i

w h e r e the r e l a t i o n

n-Za

- F Q
n-Za
n-3a

LJ

~,

n-Za
n-Za
F L n = F
+ F 0
h a s been employed.
r
7
a n-Za
n-a
n-ia

Then
L

n~Za
L 0 - F ^
n-Za
n-ia

1 .

n-3a
L - F ~
n-Za
n-3a

Finally
L

- - F 0
n-Za
n-ia
"F ~
n-ia

l f 0 - L y l

.
n
-ia
n-4a
r
a 0
F Q
= 5F - Z +
n-ia

The form of the r e m a i n d e r is the s a m e as that of the f i r s t r e m a i n d e r

so that a cycle h a s been c o m p l e t e d . In s u m m a r y , the f i r s t t e r m is
5 F - I ; the cycle that is r e p e a t e d is
a
after r c y c l e s i s :
n-(Zr+l)a
F

1, F -Z,
a

1, 5 F -Z; the r e m a i n d e r
a

n-(Zr+Z)a

n-(Zr+l)a

Example.

L86/F?9

[64, (1, 11, 1, 63) 5 , 1,10,3]

The verification of this development is shown below.

272

C O N T I N U E D FRACTIONS OF FIBONACCI

64
1
63
1
63
1
63
1
63
1
63
0

1
0

0
1
64
65
779
844
53951
547 95
6 56696
7 11491
454 80629
461 92120
5535 93949
5997 86069
3 83401 16296
3 89399 02365
46 66790 42311
50 56189 44676
3232 06725 56899
3282 62915 01575
39340 98790 74224
42623 61705 75799
27 24628 86253 49561
27 67252 47959 25360
303 97153 65846 03161
939 58713 45497 34843
L
86

1
1

12
13
831
844
10115
10959
7 00532
7 11491
85 26933
92 38424
5905 47645
5997 86069
71881 94404
77879 80473
49 78309 64203
50 56189 44676
605 96393 55639
656 52583 00315
41967 09122 75484
42623 61705 75799
4 68203 26180 33474
14 47233 40246 76221

F
*79

C a s e 2.
L /F
ir n - a

5F

December

'n-2a

w h e r e the r e l a t i o n 5 F F
= L - L ~, has been u s e d in the t r a n s a n-a
n
n-Za
f o r m a t i o n . Then
F
F
-^a . L n - 3 a
L n-a
n - 2 a- = F + n - 2 a
by v i r t u e of the r e l a t i o n F L
-F
Thus the p a t t e r n is
n = F
0 .
J
a n-2a
n-a
n-3a
(5F a , F a ) r
with a r e m a i n d e r after

r p e r i o d s of

n-(2r+l)a
n-2ra

1964

AND LUCAS RATIOS

Example.

/F_

= (5F , F ) .

273

w i t h a r e m a i n d e r of

/L]-.

Thus
L79/F?1
3.

[(105, 2 1 ) 4 ,

THE RATIO

104,1,12]

/L
n'
n-a
T h e a l g e b r a i s q u i t e s i m i l a r t o t h a t i n t h e c a s e of
t h a t only t h e final r e s u l t s w i l l be g i v e n .

If

L /F
SO
n'
n-a

is even,

the p a r t i a l

q u o t i e n t s a r e given by
(F , 5 F )
a
a r
w i t h a r e m a i n d e r of
L

n-(2r+l)a
n-2ra

If

i s odd,

t h e r e i s a f i r s t p a r t i a l q u o t i e n t of

F -1

followed by

cycles
(1, 5 F a - 2 ,

1,

Fa-2)

n-(2r+2)a

w i t h a r e m a i n d e r of
L

n-(2r+l)a
L

4.

n-(2r+l)a

THE RATIO

/L
n'

C a s e 1.

even
L /L
. . =
n' n - 2 k

the relation

n-a

- L91 L
Zlc

91

L-. - 1 +
2k

= - L

n KL

,,

nTCJK

"-2k ' Ln-4k

L._
n-2k

being u s e d in the t r a n s f o r m a t i o n .

Then
n-2k
L

and

n-2k " L n-4k

- L
n-2k
n-4k _
_
_
n-4k

n-4k
L

2k

n-2k " L n-4k

L
n-4k

L
n-6k

n-4k

Z74

CONTINUED FRACTIONS OF FIBONACCI

L^, - 1 , (1, L-, ""2)

Hence the p a t t e r n i s :

n-2(r+l)k "
L

C a s e 2.

December

with a r e m a i n d e r

n-2(r+2)k

n-2(r+l)k

a odd
n
L

n-2k+l

n-4k+2

+
2k

"

n-2k+l

Thus the p r o c e s s is a r e p e a t i n g one, the r e m a i n d e r after

partial

quotients being

5.

n-(r+l)(2k-l)

n-r(2k-l)

GENERAL FIBONACCI SEQUENCE

Let the sequence be taken in the s t a n d a r d form |_2j in which

f

= a,

Then

? = b,
= F

a < b/2

, b + F a
n-1
n-Z

so that
f

f n.
n-k

_b + F 0 a
n
1
F . . b + F n-Z7 , a
n-l-k
n-Z-k

If k is odd,
F / F . = L. + F 91 / F .
n' n-k
k
n-Zk' n - k
so that
f
f

(F
n

, +,
L,
k

.
n-k
'

T
L

. - L. F . , )b + (F 7 - F
LJa
n-1
k n-l-k
n-Z
n-Z-k k
' b F T , +a F '
n-l-k
n-Z-k

+ n"2k
k+T
n-k

1964

AND LUCAS RATIOS

275

Hence, t h e r e i s a s e r i e s of p a r t i a l quotients

(L, )
K.

Example.
f,

with a r e m a i n d e r
r

n-(r+l)k
f n - r k,

Using the s e r i e s (1, 4),

/f

= (L )

with a r e m a i n d e r

f//f ] o = 23/665

Thus
f

6 2 / f 55 = I< 2 9 V

28

l l6

>

> \

If k is even,
f /f
= L, - 1
n' n - k

n-k"fn-2k
n-k

Then
f

9V

n~
-k
_~ , , f
n-Zk
Z~J
n-k
n-2k
n-k
n-2k
f
- f
f
-f
n-k
n-2k
-> n - 2 k
n-3k
T
-2k
r -n
L k - * +
rn - 2 k
f

so that the p a t t e r n is
Lk-1,

(1, L k - 2 ) r

with a r e m a i n d e r
f

n-(r+l)k " fn-(r+2)k

f

Example.

n-(r+l)k

^03/^03 in the (1,4) s e r i e s .

V f 8 3 =l122'
with a r e m a i n d e r
f

13 - f3

< 1 ' 121 ) 7 ]

CONTINUED FRACTIONS OF FIBONACCI

276

the l a t t e r yielding p a r t i a l quotients 1, 132.

W f S3

Thus

[ X22j (l>lZlh>

'

132

The verification of this expansion is shown below.

122
1
121
1
121
1
121
1
121
1
121
1
121
1
121
1
132
Since fQ~

0
1
122
123
15005
15128
18 45493
18 60621
2269 80634
2288 41255
2 79167 72489
2 81456 13744
343 35360 35513
346 16816 49257
42229 70155 95610
42575 86972 44867
51 93909 93822 24517
52 36485 80794 69384
696410036 58721 83205
and f

1
0
1
1
122
123
15005
15128
18 45493
18 60621
2269 80634
2288 41255
2 79167 72489
2 81456 13744
343 35360 35513
346 16816.49257
42229 70155 95610
42575 86972 44867
56 62244 50519 18054

both have a factor of 5, t h e s e final quantities dif-

fer from them by this f a c t o r .

CONCLUSION
The continued fraction d e v e l o p m e n t s of the F i b o n a c c i and Lucas
r a t i o s featured in this a r t i c l e a r e not only of i n t e r e s t in t h e m s e l v e s by
their mathematical patterns.

They provide a r e a d y m e a n s of r e c o g -

nizing F i b o n a c c i and Lucas r a t i o s that a r i s e in a t t e m p t i n g to f o r m u l a t e

laws for the continued fraction d e v e l o p m e n t s of n o n - l i n e a r r e l a t i o n s .
This w i d e r field offers m a n y a challenge to the s e a r c h e r after additional
r e l a t i o n s c h a r a c t e r i z i n g the F i b o n a c c i s e q u e n c e s .

REFERENCES
1.
2.

CD,

Olds, "Continued F r a c t i o n s , " Random House, 1963.

B r o t h e r U. Alfred, "On the O r d e r of the F i b o n a c c i Sequence, " F i b onacci Q u a r t e r l y , Dec. 1963, pp. 4 3 - 4 6 .
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