Periodic sequences modulo 1 and Pisot numbers (Q2364572)

Let \(\alpha>1\) be an algebraic number and let \(\xi\) be a nonzero real number. Set \[ L(\alpha)=\sup_{\xi \ne 0} \liminf_{n \to \infty} \|\xi \alpha^n\|, \] where \(\|y\|\) stands for the distance between \(y \in {\mathbb R}\) and the nearest integer. The reviewer in [Carpathian J. Math. 30, No. 1, 79--86 (2014; Zbl 1324.11048)] gave a general theorom which produces a lower bound on \(L(\alpha)\) for a Pisot number \(\alpha\). In order to get a good explicit lower bound one has to construct some periodic sequences of special form involving the coefficients of the minimal polynomial of \(\alpha\). Such sequences with period lenght \(t=1,2,4\) have been constructed in some earlier papers. Now, the authors deals with the case \(t=3\). This leads to better bounds in some cases. For instance, for the Pisot number \(\alpha\) with minimal polynomial \[ x^{20} -2x^{19} + x^{17} -x^{16} + x^{14} -x^{13} + x^{11} - x^9 + x^7 - x^6 + x^4 - x^3 + x - 1 \] it is shown that \(L(\alpha) \geq 12/49\).