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Let $p_n$ and $q_n$ two successions of integer numbers such that $q_n > 0$ and such that $(p_n, q_n) = 1$ for all indexes $n$.

Define $f(x) := \begin{cases}\frac1{q_n^5} \quad x=\frac{p_n}{q_n} \\[6pt] 0 \quad x \in \mathbb{R}-\mathbb{Q}\end{cases}$ Prove that $\lim_{x \to \sqrt{2}} \frac{f(x)}{(x-\sqrt2)^2}$ exists. Can you compute it?

If we know the limit exists, then we might be able to apply Heine's criteria for limits of functions using limits of sequences to find the limit by using a rational sequence $(x_n) \to \sqrt2$ and using the definition of the function. However, I don't know how to approach proving the existence of the limit. Also, we know that if a sequence $(\frac{p_n}{q_n})$, where $(p_n, q_n) = 1, p_n,q_n \in \mathbb{Z}, q_n > 0$ converges to an irrational number, then $\lim_{n \to \infty} q_n = \infty$. Can you help me with this?

Gabrielek
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2 Answers2

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First, observe that $f$ as stated is not always well-defined: we don't know its values on rational numbers which are not in the sequence $\left(\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}\right)$. I'm going to make the assumption that $\left(\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}\right)$ runs uniquely over all rational numbers (which we can do by picking an enumeration of them), so that $f$ is well-defined. Moreover, we can always choose $q_{n} > 0$ (by changing the sign of $p_{n}$ if necessary). We will assume rational numbers are always written in reduced form.


Let $g(x) = \frac{f(x)}{(x-\sqrt{2})^{2}}$. We want to show that $\lim_{x \to \sqrt{2}}g(x)$ exists, and to find its value. Observe that for any irrational number $\alpha \neq \sqrt{2}$, $g(\alpha) = 0$. So, if the limit exists, it should be $0$.

Now, recall Roth's theorem in Diophantine approximation, which states: for any irrational algebraic number $x$ and any real $\lambda> 0$, the inequality $$\left|x - \frac{p}{q} \right| < \frac{1}{q^{2+\lambda}}$$ has only finitely many coprime integer solutions $(p, q)$. In particular, taking $x = \sqrt{2}$, $\lambda= \frac{1}{4}$, and squaring both sides, we see that only finitely many coprime integer pairs $(p, q)$ do not satisfy \begin{equation}\tag{1} \left(\sqrt{2} - \frac{p}{q} \right)^{2} > \frac{1}{q^{4+\frac{1}{2}}}. \end{equation} Since we have an enumeration $\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}$ of the rationals, we can rephrase this as: there exists some $N$ so that for all $n > N$, $(p_{n}, q_{n})$ satisfies (1).

Therefore, for all $n > N$, we have $$0 < g\left(\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}\right) = \frac{f\left(\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}\right)}{\left(\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}-\sqrt{2}\right)^{2}} = \frac{\frac{1}{q_{n}^{5}}}{\left(\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}-\sqrt{2}\right)^{2}} < \frac{\frac{1}{q_{n}^{5}}}{\frac{1}{q_{n}^{4+\frac{1}{2}}}} = \frac{1}{\sqrt{q_{n}}}.$$

Finally, we can conclude. Let $\epsilon > 0$ be arbitrary. There are only finitely many rational numbers $\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}$ with $n \leq N$, and none of these are equal to $\sqrt{2}$. There are also only finitely many rational numbers $\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}$ with $q_{n} \leq \frac{1}{\epsilon^{2}}$. Therefore, there exists $\delta > 0$ so that $(\sqrt{2}- \delta, \sqrt{2}+\delta)$ contains only rational numbers $\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}$ with $n > N$, and $q_{n} > \frac{1}{\epsilon^{2}}.$

For any rational number $\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}} \in (\sqrt{2}- \delta, \sqrt{2}+\delta) \setminus \{\sqrt{2}\}$, we have $$0 < g\left(\frac{p_{n}}{q_{n}}\right) < \frac{1}{\sqrt{q_{n}}} < \frac{1}{\sqrt{\frac{1}{\epsilon^{2}}}} = \epsilon.$$ Moreover, by the first computation, for any irrational number $x \in (\sqrt{2}- \delta, \sqrt{2}+\delta) \setminus \{\sqrt{2}\}$, we have $$g(x) = 0 < \epsilon.$$

So, we see that for any real $x \in (\sqrt{2}- \delta, \sqrt{2}+\delta) \setminus \{\sqrt{2}\}$, we have $|g(x)| < \epsilon.$ Since $\epsilon$ was arbitrary, this proves that $$\lim_{x \to \sqrt{2}} g(x) = 0,$$ as desired.

Remark: Observe that this proof still works if we replace $\sqrt{2}$ with any irrational algebraic number.

ckefa
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The following proof is weaker than the previous answer since it only works for $\sqrt{2}$.

We prove the following result: if $p, q$ are natural numbers, then $$\left|\frac{p}{q} - \sqrt{2}\right| > \frac{1}{3q^2}.$$

Denote $r := p/q$. If $q=1$, $$|r - \sqrt{2}| = |p - \sqrt{2}|\geq \sqrt{2} - 1 > \dfrac{1}{3}.$$ If $q=2$, $$\left|\frac{p}{2} - \sqrt{2}\right|\geq \frac{3}{2} - \sqrt{2}>\frac{1}{12}.$$ Now let $q\geq 3$ and assume $|r - \sqrt{2}|\leq\dfrac{1}{3q^2}$. This implies that $|r-\sqrt{2}|\leq \dfrac{1}{27}$ or $\sqrt{2}-\dfrac{1}{27}\leq r\leq \sqrt{2}+\dfrac{1}{27}$. On the other hand, $-\dfrac{1}{3q^2}\leq r - \sqrt{2}\leq \dfrac{1}{3q^2}$ which implies $p-\dfrac{1}{3q}\leq q\sqrt{2}\leq p+\dfrac{1}{3q}$. Squaring the relation gives $$-\frac{2}{3}r + \frac{1}{9q^2}\leq 2q^2+p^2\leq\frac{2}{3}r+\frac{1}{9q^2}.$$ The following relations hold $$\frac{2}{3}r+\frac{1}{9q^2} < \frac{2}{3}\left(\sqrt{2}+\frac{1}{27}\right)+\frac{1}{81}<\frac{2}{3}\sqrt{2}+\frac{1}{27}<1;$$ $$-\frac{2}{3}r+\frac{1}{9q^2}>-\frac{2}{3}r>-\frac{2}{3}\left(\sqrt{2}+\frac{1}{27}\right)>-1.$$

The last three relations imply $-1<2q^2-p^2<1$ or $2q^2-p^2=0$ which gives the contradiction $\dfrac{p}{q} = \sqrt{2}$.

Returning to the orginal problem, for a sequence of rationals $p_n/q_n$ converging to $\sqrt{2}$, there exists a rank $N$ such that $p_n$ and $q_n$ are both natural for any $n>N$ (assuming, as previously mentioned, $q_n>0$ for any $n$). Then for any $n>N$: $$0<\frac{f\left(\frac{p_n}{q_n}\right)}{\left(\frac{p_n}{q_n}-\sqrt{2}\right)^2}=\frac{1}{q_n^5\left(\frac{p_n}{q_n}-\sqrt{2}\right)^2} < \frac{9q_n^4}{q_n^5}=\frac{9}{q_n}.$$

It is well known that $q_n\to\infty$ (see this question) which implies that the limit is $0$.

John WK
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