The quadratic form x2−2py2

Using known properties of continued fractions, we give a very simple and elementary proof of the theorem of Epstein and Rédei on the impossibility in a certain case of representing ?1 by the quadratic form x² ? 2py². Two of our theorems, which concern the representation of a² and ?2a², serve to extend our method to an unknown case in which ?1 is not representable.