q-DEFORMED RATIONALS AND q-CONTINUED FRACTIONS

Overview & Synopsis

We introduce a notion of q-deformed rational numbers and q-deformed continued fractions. A q-deformed rational is encoded by a triangulation of a polygon and can be computed recursively. The recursive formula is analogous to the q-deformed Pascal identitiy for the Gaussian binomial coefficients, but the Pascal triangle is replaced by the Farey graph. The coefficients of the polynomials defining the q-rational count quiver subrepresentations of the maximal indecomposable representation of the graph dual to the triangulation. Several other properties, such as total positivity properties, q-deformation of the Farey graph, matrix presentations and q-continuants are given, as well as a relation to the Jones polynomial of rational knots.