Prime and composite numbers as integer parts of powers

We study prime and composite numbers in the sequence of integer parts of powers of a fixed real number. We first prove a result which implies that there is a transcendental number ξ>1 for which the numbers ξ^{n !}], n =2,3, ..., are all prime. Then, following an idea of Huxley who did it for cubics, we construct Pisot numbers of arbitrary degree such that all integer parts of their powers are composite. Finally, we give an example of an explicit transcendental number ζ (obtained as the limit of a certain recurrent sequence) for which the sequence ζⁿ], n =1,2,..., has infinitely many elements in an arbitrary integer arithmetical progression. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.