fix: use consecutive powers instead of squaring

[ivokub]

Description

Fixes #1203

Type of change

• Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)

How has this been tested?

Current test suite

Checklist:

• I have performed a self-review of my code
• I have commented my code, particularly in hard-to-understand areas
• I have made corresponding changes to the documentation
• I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works
• I did not modify files generated from templates
• golangci-lint does not output errors locally
• New and existing unit tests pass locally with my changes
• Any dependent changes have been merged and published in downstream modules