Converting float decimal to fraction

Continued fractions can be used to find rational approximations to real numbers that are "best" in a strict sense. Here's a PHP function that finds a rational approximation to a given (positive) floating point number with a relative error less than $tolerance:

<?php
function float2rat($n, $tolerance = 1.e-6) {
    $h1=1; $h2=0;
    $k1=0; $k2=1;
    $b = 1/$n;
    do {
        $b = 1/$b;
        $a = floor($b);
        $aux = $h1; $h1 = $a*$h1+$h2; $h2 = $aux;
        $aux = $k1; $k1 = $a*$k1+$k2; $k2 = $aux;
        $b = $b-$a;
    } while (abs($n-$h1/$k1) > $n*$tolerance);

    return "$h1/$k1";
}

printf("%s\n", float2rat(66.66667)); # 200/3
printf("%s\n", float2rat(sqrt(2)));  # 1393/985
printf("%s\n", float2rat(0.43212));  # 748/1731

I have written more about this algorithm and why it works, and even a JavaScript demo here: https://web.archive.org/web/20180731235708/http://jonisalonen.com/2012/converting-decimal-numbers-to-ratios/

Converted Python code in answer from @APerson241 to PHP

<?php
function farey($v, $lim) {
    // No error checking on args.  lim = maximum denominator.
    // Results are array(numerator, denominator); array(1, 0) is 'infinity'.
    if($v < 0) {
        list($n, $d) = farey(-$v, $lim);
        return array(-$n, $d);
    }
    $z = $lim - $lim;   // Get a "zero of the right type" for the denominator
    list($lower, $upper) = array(array($z, $z+1), array($z+1, $z));
    while(true) {
        $mediant = array(($lower[0] + $upper[0]), ($lower[1] + $upper[1]));
        if($v * $mediant[1] > $mediant[0]) {
            if($lim < $mediant[1]) 
                return $upper;
            $lower = $mediant;
        }
        else if($v * $mediant[1] == $mediant[0]) {
            if($lim >= $mediant[1])
                return $mediant;
            if($lower[1] < $upper[1])
                return $lower;
            return $upper;
        }
        else {
            if($lim < $mediant[1])
                return $lower;
            $upper = $mediant;
        }
    }
}

// Example use:
$f = farey(66.66667, 10);
echo $f[0], '/', $f[1], "\n"; # 200/3
$f = farey(sqrt(2), 1000);
echo $f[0], '/', $f[1], "\n";  # 1393/985
$f = farey(0.43212, 2000);
echo $f[0], '/', $f[1], "\n";  # 748/1731

Farey fractions can be quite useful in this case.

They can be used to convert any decimal into a fraction with the lowest possible denominator.

Sorry - I don't have a prototype in PHP, so here's one in Python:

def farey(v, lim):
    """No error checking on args.  lim = maximum denominator.
        Results are (numerator, denominator); (1, 0) is 'infinity'."""
    if v < 0:
        n, d = farey(-v, lim)
        return (-n, d)
    z = lim - lim   # Get a "zero of the right type" for the denominator
    lower, upper = (z, z+1), (z+1, z)
    while True:
        mediant = (lower[0] + upper[0]), (lower[1] + upper[1])
        if v * mediant[1] > mediant[0]:
            if lim < mediant[1]:
                return upper
            lower = mediant
        elif v * mediant[1] == mediant[0]:
            if lim >= mediant[1]:
                return mediant
            if lower[1] < upper[1]:
                return lower
            return upper
        else:
            if lim < mediant[1]:
                return lower
            upper = mediant