By Kardi Teknomo, PhD .

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How do we obtain approximation ratio of a real number? Suppose you have a number with several decimal digits like this: 2.14567, what is the best rational approximation of this number? What is the error of this approximation? Try the Decimal to Rational number calculator below.


or

First,

Then, ; Select digit of accuracy = .


Of course, we can always say that 2.14567 = 214567/100000 without any approximation. However, some number like Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion may not have the exact decimal number and we can use approximation of continued fraction using this simple algorithm:

Algorithm:

Suppose we have a decimal number Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion

At the beginning, we compute term, error and reciprocal of remainder respectively as

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion

Then continued the iteration with iteration formula

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , for Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion to Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion

Once we get the term of continued fraction, we can use the difference equation Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion to get the ratio Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion

The iteration is stop when the absolute error is very small

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion and we report the result of one iteration before.

Example (hand calculation):

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , and we set accuracy Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion we want to get the fraction approximation.

We start with making a continued fraction. We use difference equation with initial condition Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion ,

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion (by definition), then Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion with absolute error Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , thus we continue the iteration

The first iteration we have

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , then Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion with absolute error Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , thus we continue the iteration

The second iteration we have

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , then Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion with absolute error Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , thus we continue the iteration

The third iteration we have

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion

Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , then Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion with absolute error Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion , thus we stop the iteration and report the conversion of decimal Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion with remainder Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion

Implementation Code

Visual Basic code for this conversion is given below

Function Decimal2Fraction(ByVal decNum As Double, ByVal accuracy As Double, _ 
ByRef nominator, ByRef denominator, ByRef remainder) 
' Input decNum always between zero to 1 

' copyright (c) Kardi Teknomo 2006-2023

' http://people.revoledu.com/kardi
Dim a(25) ' I assume the accuracy is lower than 25 digit decimals 
Dim y(25), r(25) 
Dim p(25), q(25) 
Dim error 
Dim i As Integer, k As Integer 
Dim ratio As Double, prevRatio As Double 

  
For k = 0 To 24 
If k = 0 Then 
a(0) = Int(decNum) ' function Int in VB is equivalent to Floor 
r(0) = decNum - a(0) 
If r(0) <> 0 Then y(0) = 1 / r(0) 
p(0) = a(0) 
q(0) = 1 
ratio = p(0) / q(0) 
error = Abs(decNum - ratio) 
Else 
a(k) = Int(y(k - 1)) ' function Int in VB is equivalent to Floor 
r(k) = y(k - 1) - a(k) 
y(k) = 1 / r(k) 
If k = 1 Then 
p(1) = a(1) * p(0) + 1 
q(1) = a(1) * q(0) 
Else 
p(k) = a(k) * p(k - 1) + p(k - 2) 
q(k) = a(k) * q(k - 1) + q(k - 2) 
End If 
ratio = p(k) / q(k) 
error = Abs(ratio - prevRatio) 
End If 
If error < accuracy Then 
Exit For 
Else 
prevRatio = ratio 
End If 
Next k 
' report the results 
nominator = p(k - 1) 
denominator = q(k - 1) 
remainder = r(k - 1) 
Decimal2Fraction = nominator / denominator 
End Function 

Try the online interactive program that use the above Decimal to Fraction code so that you can see the code in action.

Alternatively, you may use the program or spreadsheet companion of this tutorial to get conversion of any decimal numbers. For example, try interesting number such as Continued Fraction application: Decimal to fraction conversion and try different accuracy

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This tutorial is copyrighted .

Preferable reference for this tutorial is

Teknomo, Kardi (2015) Continued Fraction. http://people.revoledu.com/kardi/tutorial/ContinuedFraction/index.html