For real irrational $C > 1 $ and natural $n,b$, define $a(C,n,b)=\lfloor C^n \rfloor \mod b$
Q1 For which $C,b$ is $a(C,n,b)$ computable in time polynomial in $\log{n}$?
Searching in OEIS suggests that for $C \in \{1+\sqrt{2},1+\sqrt{3},(1+\sqrt{5})/2\}$, $a(C,n,b)$ satisfy linear recurrence with constant coefficients and so it is efficiently computable over the integers and all bases $b$.
In OEIS: a(n) = floor(phi^n)
For natural $k$, $a(b^{1/k},n,b)$ is related to the base $b$ representation of $b^{1/k}$ so it is probably hopeless.
Q2 Is $a(1+\sqrt{6},n,b)$ efficiently computable in some base $b$?
(We couldn't find linear recurrence for it)
Q3 Except linear recurrences, are there other islands of tractability for algebraic $C$?