Non-commutative double-sided continued fractions

Abstract

We study double-sided continued fractions whose coefficients are non-commuting symbols. We work within the formal approach of the Mal’cev–Neumann series and free division rings. We start with presenting the analogs of the standard results from the theory of continued fractions, including their (right and left) simple fractions decomposition, the Euler–Minding summation formulas, and the relations between nominators and denominators of the simple fraction decompositions. We also transfer to the non-commutative double-sided setting the standard description of the continued fractions in terms of 2 × 2 matrices presenting also a weak version of the Serret theorem. The equivalence transformations between the double continued fractions are described, including also the transformation from generic such fractions to their simplest form. Then we give the description of the double-sided continued fractions within the theory of quasideterminants and we present the corresponding version of the LR and qd-algorithms. We study also (strictly and ultimately) periodic double-sided non-commutative continued fractions and we give the corresponding version of the Euler theorem. Finally we present a weak version of the Galois theorem and we give its relation to the non-commutative KP map, recently studied in the theory of discrete integrable systems.