In this paper, we study rational approximations for certain algebraic power series over a finite field. We obtain results for irrational elements of strictly positive degree satisfying an equation of the type \begin{equation} \alpha=\displaystyle\frac{A\alpha^{q}+B}{C\alpha^{q}} \end{equation} where $(A, B, C)\in (\mathbb{F}_{q}[X])^{2}\times\mathbb{F}_{q}^{\star}[X]$. In particular, we will give, under some conditions on the polynomials $A$, $B$ and $C$, well approximated elements satisfying this equation.

Dufresnoy and Pisot characterized the smallest Pisot number of degree $n \geq 3$ by giving explicitly its minimal polynomial. In this paper, we translate Dufresnoy and Pisot's result to the Laurent series case. The aim of this paper is to prove that the minimal polynomial of the smallest Pisot element (SPE) of degree $n$ in the field of formal power series over a finite field is given by $P(Y)=Y^{n}-\alpha XY^{n-1}-\alpha^n,$ where $\alpha$ is the least element of the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{q}\backslash\{0\}$ (as a finite total ordered set). We prove that the sequence of SPEs of degree $n$ is decreasing and converges to $\alpha X.$ Finally, we show how to obtain explicit continued fraction expansion of the smallest Pisot element over a finite field.

We provide a criterion for the central norm to be any value in the simple continued fraction expansion of $\sqrt{D}$ for any non-square integer $D>1$. We also provide a simple criterion for the solvability of the Pell equation $x^2-Dy^2=-1$ in terms of congruence conditions modulo $D$.

We look at the simple continued fraction expansion of $\sqrt{D}$ for any $D=2^hc $ where $c>1$ is odd with a goal of determining necessary and sufficient conditions for the central norm (as determined by the infrastructure of the underlying real quadratic order therein) to be $2^h$. At the end of the paper, we also address the case where $D=c$ is odd and the central norm of $\sqrt{D}$ is equal to $2$.

The purpose of this article is to provide criteria for the simultaneous solvability of the Diophantine equations $X^2 - DY^2 = c$ and $x^2 - Dy^2 = -c$ when $c \in \mathbb{Z}$, and $D \in \mathbb{N}$ is not a perfect square. This continues work in \cite{me}--\cite{alfnme}.

We study ergodic properties of a family of interval maps that are given as the fractional parts of certain real M\"obius transformations. Included are the maps that are exactly $n$-to-$1$, the classical Gauss map and the Renyi or backward continued fraction map. A new approach is presented for deriving explicit realizations of natural automorphic extensions and their invariant measures.