Classroom Notes: Images of Fixed-Point Continued Fractions

John Gill December 2013

Abstract: Computer generated images in the complex plane of iterations of certain analytic continued fractions.

Fixed-point continued fractions have the form

(1)

1 1
2 2
where k , k are the fixed points of the function
1 + 1 2 + 2

f k ( ) =

k k
. The nth approximant of the continued fraction then can be written
k + k

Fn( ) = f1  f2  f n( ) . If k = k ( z ) and k = k ( z ) , we have

Fn( z , ) = f1  f2  f n( z , ) . The following images show magnitudes of simple complex flux
(SCF), Fn( z ,0) , or fixed-point flux (FPF), Fn( z ,0) z . Dark=small, light=large. Several
variations on FPCFs are shown, as well. [Liberty Basic V 4.04 (2013)]

Example 1: f k ( z , ) =

kz
, 6 x , y 6 , n = 10
k + z

SCF & FPF

(1 + ik )

z
(.5 + ik ) z , 6 x , y 6 , n = 10 SCF
Example 2: f k ( z , ) =
and f k ( z , ) =
1 + ik + z
.5 + ik + z

A Variation on fixed-point CFs.

Example 3:

f k ( z , ) =

Note: a programming error produced these two images!

kz(1 kz )
, 6 x , y 6 , n = 10 SCF
1

Example 4:

f k ( z , ) =

Example 5: f k ( z , ) =

kz(1 kz )
, k =1+ik , 6 x , y 6 , n = 10 SCF
k z
1
k + z

(1 ik ) z
1 ik + z

, 7 x , y 7 , n = 10 SCF

Example 6: f ( z , ) =

z
, 6 x , y 6 , n = 10 SCF. Another variation on FPCFs.
k + z

Example 7: f k ( z , ) =

kz 2
, 10 x , y 10 , n = 10 SCF. Another variation on FPCFs.
k + z

Example 8: f ( z , ) =

(1 + 2ki )2 z
, 10 x , y 10 , n = 10 SCF. Another variation on
1 + 2ki + z

FPCFs.

Example 9: f ( z , ) =

i(1 + ik )z
, 8 x , y 8 , n = 10 SCF. Variation on FPCFs.
1 + ik + z