Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 May 2014
Let $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}\mathbb{F}_q$ be the finite field of $q$ elements. An analogue of the regular continued fraction expansion for an element $\alpha $ in the field of formal Laurent series over $\mathbb{F}_q$ is given uniquely by