Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/ii/paper-3/1f/solution

Apply the reciprocal-and-integer-part algorithm for the continued fraction. The successive complete quotients after the integer part two are , , , and . Their integer parts are , and taking the next reciprocal repeats the first complete quotient. Therefore
The first four continued fraction convergents are . The last gives . Squaring its unit gives , whose norm is again one. Thus two positive solutions of the Pell equation are
Direct verification gives .

New to topics? Read the docs here!