Floor, ceiling and the space between

Abstract Motivated by a question on the ranges of the commutators of dilated floor functions in [10], together with a related problem in [3], we investigate the precise ranges of certain generalized polynomials dependent on a real parameter. Our analysis requires non-trivial tools, including Kronecker’s approximation theorem. The results highlight sharp distinctions between irrational parameters and sub-unitary and supra-unitary rational parameters. We also propose several conjectures for the irrational and supra-unitary rational cases, supported by extensive computations in Wolfram Mathematica.