# Description:

A non-integer representation of a number uses non-integer numbers as the bases of a positional numbering system.

e.g. Using the golden ratio (the irrational number 1 + √5/2 ≈ 1.61803399 symbolized by the Greek letter φ) as its base, the numbers 1 to 10 can be written:

Decimal Powers of φ             Base φ
1       φ0                      1
2       φ1 + φ−2                10.01
3       φ2 + φ−2                100.01
4       φ2 + φ0 + φ−2           101.01
5       φ3 + φ−1 + φ−4          1000.1001
6       φ3 + φ1 + φ−4           1010.0001
7       φ4 + φ−4                10000.0001
8       φ4 + φ0 + φ−4           10001.0001
9       φ4 + φ1 + φ−2 + φ−4     10010.0101
10      φ4 + φ2 + φ−2 + φ−4     10100.0101


Note that just as with any base-n system, numbers with a terminating representation have an alternative recurring representation. In base-10, this relies on the observation that 0.999...=1. In base-φ, the numeral 0.1010101... can be seen to be equal to 1 in several ways:

Conversion to nonstandard form: 1 = 0.11φ = 0.1011φ = 0.101011φ = ... = 0.10101010....φ

One representation in a non-integer base can be found using the greedy algorithm.

# Challenge:

Given a number n, a non-integer real base b (1 < b < 10, since, as @xnor pointed out in comments, representation in current format would be nonsensical), and decimal places l, output a non-integer representation of n in base b to l decimal places.

# Test Cases:

n=10, b=(1 + Sqrt[5])/2, l=5,     ->     10100.01010
n=10, b=E, l=5,                   ->     102.11201
n=10, b=Pi, l=5,                  ->     100.01022
n=10, b=1.2, l=14,                ->     1000000000001.00000000000001
n=10^4, b=Sqrt[2], l=12,          ->     100001000010010000010000100.000000000001


Note any valid representation is allowed. e.g.

n=450, b=E, l=6,     ->     222010.221120


or

n=450, b=E, l=6,     ->     1002020.211202


# Prohibitions:

Calling Wolfram Alpha or any other external computational site is disallowed. Standard loopholes apply. This is Code Golf, so shortest code wins.

• Can our output be two lists, one of digits and one of decimal places, rather than a string? – notjagan Jul 19 '17 at 19:05
• @notjagan yes that's fine – martin Jul 19 '17 at 19:26
• @martin non-integer inputs in what form? Can there be sin? mod? floor? Is b always given as a rational approximation of the input? This is missing a clear input spec at the moment... – Socratic Phoenix Jul 19 '17 at 19:43
• @martin I believe he means whether we need to deal with an input of "sin(1+sqrt(5))", i.e. whether we need to evaluate those expressions. – Leaky Nun Jul 19 '17 at 19:45
• @martin Can the digits be negative numbers? Or, what if they are above 9? And I take it the digits must be integers? – xnor Jul 19 '17 at 22:39

# Mathematica, 85 bytes

(r=RealDigits[#,#2,9#3];k=r[[2]];s=ToString/@r[[1]];""<>s[[;;k]].""<>s[[k+1;;k+#3]])&


# Mathematica, 86 bytes

(s=TakeDrop@##&@@RealDigits[#,#2,9#3];FromDigits@s[[1]].""<>ToString/@s[[2]][[;;#3]])&


input

[450,E,6]

# Python 3, 151134 121 120 bytes

import math
def f(n,b,l,r=''):
for i in range(int(math.log(n,b)),-l-1,-1):r+="%i"%(n/b**i)+'.'*(0==i);n%=b**i
return r


Try it online!

Returns a string of the non-integer base representation. This can probably be golfed more; stay tuned.

Special thanks to:

• @LeakyNun for saving 13 bytes!
• @Zacharý for saving 1 byte!
• 121 bytes – Leaky Nun Jul 19 '17 at 19:50
• @LeakyNun woah. What's going on in "%i"%(n/b**i)? I've not seen syntax like that before. – Chase Vogeli Jul 19 '17 at 19:53
• It is string formatting. "%i" is the string to be formatted, with parameter n/b**i – Leaky Nun Jul 19 '17 at 20:01
• You can save a single byte by using import math then math.log. – Zacharý Jul 20 '17 at 15:54
• @Zacharý good catch, thanks! – Chase Vogeli Jul 20 '17 at 16:01