Extremal properties of (epi)Sturmian sequences and distribution modulo 1 (Q536449)

In [C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 341, No. 2, 69--74 (2005; Zbl 1140.11318)], \textit{Y. Bugeaud} and the reviewer described all the numbers \(\xi>0\) for which the fractional parts \(\{\xi b^n\}\), \(n=0,1,2,\dots\), all belong to the interval of length \(1/b\), where \(b \geq 2\) is an integer. In this survey the authors start with the combinatorial background of this result (Section 2), collect many results on Sturmian and episturmian sequences (Section 3), address the relevant combinatorial extremal properties and the history of their discoveries and rediscoveries (Sections 4 and 5) and show how some of these results can be used in distribution of geometric sequences modulo \(1\) (Section 6). This well written paper contains \(88\) references. It can be a useful source for those working in different areas of combinatorics on words and for those wishing to apply these results to distribution modulo \(1\).