On the concept of optimality interval

The approximants to regular continued fractions constitute best approximations to the numbers they converge to in two ways known as the first and the second kind. This property of continued fractions provides a solution to Gosper's problem of the batting average: if the batting average of a bas...

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Main Authors: Lluís Bibiloni, Pelegrí Viader, Jaume Paradís
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2002-01-01
Series:International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0161171202011420
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author Lluís Bibiloni
Pelegrí Viader
Jaume Paradís
author_facet Lluís Bibiloni
Pelegrí Viader
Jaume Paradís
author_sort Lluís Bibiloni
collection DOAJ
description The approximants to regular continued fractions constitute best approximations to the numbers they converge to in two ways known as the first and the second kind. This property of continued fractions provides a solution to Gosper's problem of the batting average: if the batting average of a baseball player is 0.334, what is the minimum number of times he has been at bat? In this paper, we tackle somehow the inverse question: given a rational number P/Q, what is the set of all numbers for which P/Q is a best approximation of one or the other kind? We prove that in both cases these optimality sets are intervals and we give a precise description of their endpoints.
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series International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences
spelling doaj-art-25eeaabba39d46b5accb9174dbcf6cbf2025-08-20T03:55:00ZengWileyInternational Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences0161-17121687-04252002-01-0130955956710.1155/S0161171202011420On the concept of optimality intervalLluís Bibiloni0Pelegrí Viader1Jaume Paradís2Facultat de Ciències de l'Educació, Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, SpainDepartament d'Economia i Empresa, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27, Barcelona 08005, SpainDepartament d'Economia i Empresa, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27, Barcelona 08005, SpainThe approximants to regular continued fractions constitute best approximations to the numbers they converge to in two ways known as the first and the second kind. This property of continued fractions provides a solution to Gosper's problem of the batting average: if the batting average of a baseball player is 0.334, what is the minimum number of times he has been at bat? In this paper, we tackle somehow the inverse question: given a rational number P/Q, what is the set of all numbers for which P/Q is a best approximation of one or the other kind? We prove that in both cases these optimality sets are intervals and we give a precise description of their endpoints.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0161171202011420
spellingShingle Lluís Bibiloni
Pelegrí Viader
Jaume Paradís
On the concept of optimality interval
International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences
title On the concept of optimality interval
title_full On the concept of optimality interval
title_fullStr On the concept of optimality interval
title_full_unstemmed On the concept of optimality interval
title_short On the concept of optimality interval
title_sort on the concept of optimality interval
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0161171202011420
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