Fractional parts of powers of large rational numbers (Q2421860)

This paper is concerned with a generalized version of Mahler's famous open problem on the range of the sequence \((\xi (3/2)^n)\) mod 1. In earlier work [Acta Arith. 137, No. 3, 233--239 (2009; Zbl 1245.11082)], the author of the paper proved that for \(\xi \neq 0\) and for coprime \(p,q\) the sequence \((\xi (p/q)^n)\) mod 1 cannot be contained in an interval of length \(1/p\), provided that \(q< p < q^2\). In the present paper this result is extended to the case \(p > q^2\), under the extra assumption that \(\xi\) is algebraic. As a further application of his method, the author also makes a step towards Mahler's original problem: for \(\xi \neq 0\) the sequence \((\xi (3/2)^n)\) mod 1 cannot be contained in the interval \([0.14035\dots, 0.52306\dots]\).