We prove several supercongruences involving the harmonic number of order two $H_n^{(2)}:=\sum_{k=1}^n1/k^2$. For example, if $p>5$ is prime and $α$ is $p$-integral, then we can completely determine $$ \sum_{k=0}^{p-1}\frac{H_k^{(2)}}{k}\cdot\binomα{k}\binom{-1-α}{k}\quad\text{and}\quad \sum_{k=0}^{\frac{p-1}{2}}\frac{H_k^{(2)}}{k}\cdot\binomα{k}\binom{-1-α}{k} $$ modulo $p^3$. In particular, by setting $α=-1/2$, we confirm two conjectured congruences of Z.-W. Sun.
We establish some supercongruences for the truncated ${}_2F_1$ and ${}_3F_2$ hypergeometric series involving the $p$-adic Gamma functions. Some of these results extend the four Rodriguez-Villegas supercongruences on the truncated ${}_3F_2$ hypergeometric series. The corresponding conjectural supercongruences modulo $p^3$ are also proposed for further research.
We confirm a conjectural supercongruence involving Catalan numbers, which is one of the 100 selected open conjectures on congruences of Sun. The proof makes use of hypergeometric series identities and symbolic summation method.
We establish two binomial coefficient--generalized harmonic sum identities using the partial fraction decomposition method. These identities are a key ingredient in the proofs of numerous supercongruences. In particular, in other works of the author, they are used to establish modulo $p^k$ ($k>1$) congruences between truncated generalized hypergeometric series, and a function which extends Greene's hypergeometric function over finite fields to the $p$-adic setting. A specialization of one of these congruences is used to prove an outstanding conjecture of Rodriguez-Villegas which relates a trun…
We show various supercongruences for truncated series which involve central binomial coefficients and harmonic numbers. The corresponding infinite series are also evaluated.
Let $p$ be a prime and let $x$ be a $p$-adic integer. We provide two supercongruences for truncated series of the form $$\sum_{k=1}^{p-1} \frac{(x)_k}{(1)_k}\cdot \frac{1}{k}\sum_{1\le j_1\le\cdots\le j_r\le k}\frac{1}{j_1^{}\cdots j_r^{}}\quad\mbox{and}\quad \sum_{k=1}^{p-1} \frac{(x)_k(1-x)_k}{(1)_k^2}\cdot \frac{1}{k}\sum_{1\le j_1\le\cdots\le j_r\le k}\frac{1}{j_1^{2}\cdots j_r^{2}}.$$
We establish a supercongruence conjectured by Almkvist and Zudilin, by proving a corresponding $q$-supercongruence. Similar $q$-supercongruences are established for binomial coefficients and the Apéry numbers, by means of a general criterion involving higher derivatives at roots of unity. Our methods lead us to discover new examples of the cyclic sieving phenomenon, involving the $q$-Lucas numbers.
Let $p$ be an odd prime, and let $a$ be a rational $p$-adic integer with $a\not\equiv 0\pmod p$. In this paper, using WZ method we establish the congruences for $\sum_{k=0}^{p-1} \binom ak^2(-1)^k(1-\frac 2ak)$ modulo $p^2$ and $\sum_{k=0}^{p-1} \binom ak^r(1-\frac 2ak)^s$ modulo $p^4$, where $r\in\{3,4\}$ and $s\in\{1,3\}$.
We prove some supercongruence and divisibility results on sums involving Domb numbers, which confirm four conjectures of Z.-W. Sun and Z.-H. Sun. For instance, by using a transformation formula due to Chan and Zudilin, we show that for any prime $p\ge 5$, \begin{align*} \sum_{k=0}^{p-1}\frac{3k+1}{(-32)^k}{\rm Domb}(k)\equiv (-1)^{\frac{p-1}{2}}p+p^3E_{p-3} \pmod{p^4}, \end{align*} which is regarded as a $p$-adic analogue of the following interesting formula for $1/π$ due to Rogers: \begin{align*} \sum_{k=0}^{\infty}\frac{3k+1}{(-32)^k}{\rm Domb}(k)=\frac{2}π. \end{align*} Here ${\rm Domb}(n)$…
We prove a supercongruence modulo $p^3$ between the $p$th Fourier coefficient of a weight 6 modular form and a truncated ${}_6F_5$-hypergeometric series. Novel ingredients in the proof are the comparison of two rational approximations to $ζ(3)$ to produce non-trivial harmonic sum identities and the reduction of the resulting congruences between harmonic sums via a congruence between the Apéry numbers and another Apéry-like sequence.
We establish four supercongruences between truncated ${}_3F_2$ hypergeometric series involving $p$-adic Gamma functions, which extend some of the Rodriguez-Villegas supercongruences.
In this paper, we confirm several conjectured congruences of Sun concerning the divisibility of binomial sums. For example, with help of a quadratic hypergeometric transformation, we prove that $$ \sum_{k=0}^{p-1}\binom{p-1}k\binom{2k}k^2\frac{P_k}{8^k}\equiv0\pmod{p^2} $$ for any prime $p\equiv 7\mod{8}$, where $P_k$ is the $k$-th Pell number. Further, we also propose three new congruences of the same type.
Let $M_n$ and $T_n$ denote the $n$th Motzkin number and the $n$th central trinomial coefficient respectively. We prove that for any prime $p\ge 5$, \begin{align*} &\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}M_k^2\equiv \left(\frac{p}{3}\right)\left(2-6p\right)\pmod{p^2},\\ &\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}kM_k^2\equiv \left(\frac{p}{3}\right)\left(9p-1\right)\pmod{p^2},\\ &\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}T_kM_k\equiv \frac{4}{3}\left(\frac{p}{3}\right)+\frac{p}{6}\left(1-9\left(\frac{p}{3}\right)\right)\pmod{p^2}, \end{align*} where $\left(-\right)$ is the Legendre symbol. These results confirm three 12-year-old supercongruence conjectures of Z.-W. Su…
The Delannoy numbers and Schröder numbers are given by \begin{align*} D_n=\sum_{k=0}^n{n\choose k}{n+k\choose k}\quad \text{and}\quad S_n=\sum_{k=0}^n{n\choose k}{n+k\choose k}\frac{1}{k+1}, \end{align*} respectively. Let $p>3$ be a prime. We mainly prove that \begin{align*} \sum_{k=1}^{p-1}D_k S_k\equiv 2p^3B_{p-3}-2pH^{*}_{p-1} \pmod{p^4}, \end{align*} where $B_n$ is the $n$-th Bernoulli number and those $H^{*}_n$ are the alternating harmonic numbers given by $H^{*}_n=\sum_{k=1}^{n}\frac{(-1)^k}{k}$. This supercongruence was originally conjectured by Z.-W. Sun in 2011.
In this paper, we prove two recently conjectured supercongruences (modulo $p^3$, where $p$ is any prime greater than $3$) of Zhi-Hong Sun on truncated sums involving the Domb numbers. Our proofs involve a number of ingredients such as congruences involving specialized Bernoulli polynomials, harmonic numbers, binomial coefficients, and hypergeometric summations and transformations.
In recent years, the congruence $$ \sum_{\substack{i+j+k=p\\ i,j,k>0}} \frac1{ijk} \equiv -2 B_{p-3} \pmod{p}, $$ first discovered by the last author have been generalized by either increasing the number of indices and considering the corresponding supercongruences, or by considering the alternating version of multiple harmonic sums. In this paper, we prove a family of similar supercongruences modulo prime powers $p^r$ with the indexes summing up to $mp^r$ where $m$ is coprime to $p$, where all the indexes are also coprime to $p$.
By using the Rodriguez-Villegas-Mortenson supercongruences, we prove four supercongruences on sums involving binomial coefficients, which were originally conjectured by Sun. We also confirm a related conjecture of Guo on integer-valued polynomials.
In this paper we deduce some new supercongruences modulo powers of a prime $p>3$. Let $d\in\{0,1,\ldots,(p-1)/2\}$. We show that $$\sum_{k=0}^{(p-1)/2}\frac{\binom{2k}k\binom{2k}{k+d}}{8^k}\equiv 0\ (\mbox{mod}\ p)\ \ \ \mbox{if}\ d\equiv \frac{p+1}2\ (\mbox{mod}\ 2),$$ and $$\sum_{k=0}^{(p-1)/2}\frac{\binom{2k}k\binom{2k}{k+d}}{16^k} \equiv\left(\frac{-1}p\right)+p^2\frac{(-1)^d}4E_{p-3}\left(d+\frac12\right)\pmod{p^3},$$ where $E_{p-3}(x)$ denotes the Euler polynomial of degree $p-3$, and $(-)$ stands for the Legendre symbol. The paper also contains some other results such as $$\sum_{k=0}^{p…
In this paper we study some sophisticated supercongruences involving dual sequences. For $n=0,1,2,\ldots$ define $$d_n(x)=\sum_{k=0}^n\binom nk\binom xk2^k$$ and $$s_n(x)=\sum_{k=0}^n\binom nk\binom xk\binom{x+k}k=\sum_{k=0}^n\binom nk(-1)^k\binom xk\binom{-1-x}k.$$ For any odd prime $p$ and $p$-adic integer $x$, we determine $\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}(\pm1)^kd_k(x)^2$ and $\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}(2k+1)d_k(x)^2$ modulo $p^2$; for example, we establish the new $p$-adic congruence $$\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}(-1)^kd_k(x)^2\equiv(-1)^{\langle x\rangle_p}\pmod{p^2},$$ where $\langle x\rangle_p$ denotes the least nonnegativ…
The Kaneko--Zagier conjecture describes a correspondence between finite multiple zeta values and symmetric multiple zeta values. Its refined version has been established by Jarossay, Rosen and Ono--Seki--Yamamoto. In this paper, we explicate these conjectures through studies of multiple harmonic $q$-sums. We show that the (generalized) finite/symmetric multiple zeta value are obtained by taking an algebraic/analytic limit of multiple harmonic $q$-sums. As applications, new proofs of reversal, duality and cyclic sum formulas for the generalized finite/symmetric multiple zeta values are given.
A supercongruence is a congruence between rational numbers modulo a power of a prime. In this paper, we give a technique for finding and algorithmically proving supercongruences by expressing terms as infinite series involving certain generalizations of the harmonic numbers. We apply the technique to derive many new supercongruences. We also provide software for finding and proving supercongruences using our technique.
In this paper, a new $q$-supercongruence with two free parameters modulo the fourth power of a cyclotomic polynomial is obtained. Our main auxiliary tools are Watson's $_8ϕ_7$ transformation formula for basic hypergeometric series, the `creative microscoping' method recently introduced by Guo and Zudilin and the Chinese remainder theorem for coprime polynomials. By taking suitable parameter substitutions in the established $q$-supercongruence, some nice congruences involving the Bernoulli numbers are derived.
Let p be an odd prime. In 1984, Greene introduced the notion of hypergeometric functions over finite fields. Special values of these functions have been of interest as they are related to the number of F_p points on algebraic varieties and to Fourier coefficients of modular forms. In this paper, we explicitly determine these functions modulo higher powers of p and discuss an application to supercongruences. This application uses two non-trivial generalized Harmonic sum identities discovered using the computer summation package Sigma. We illustrate the usage of Sigma in the discovery and proof …
In [Tha15], we looked at two (`multiplicative' and `Carlitz-Drinfeld additive') analogs each, for the well-known basic congruences of Fermat and Wilson, in the case of polynomials over finite fields. When we look at them modulo higher powers of primes, i.e. at `supercongruences', we find interesting relations linking them together, as well as linking them with arithmetic derivatives and zeta values. In the current work, we expand on the first analog and connections with arithmetic derivatives more systematically, giving many more equivalent conditions linking the two, now using `mixed derivati…
The harmonic numbers $H_n=\sum_{0<k\ls n}1/k\ (n=0,1,2,\ldots)$ play important roles in mathematics. With helps of some combinatorial identities, we establish the following two congruences: $$\sum_{k=0}^{\frac{p-3}2}\f{\binom{2k}k^2H_k}{(2k+1)16^k}\ \mbox{modulo}\ p^2\ \mbox{and}\ \sum_{k=0}^{\frac{p-3}2}\f{\binom{2k}k^2H_{2k}}{(2k+1)16^k}\ \mbox{modulo}\ p$$ for any prime $p>3$, the second one was conjectured by Z.-W. Sun in 2012. These two congruences are very important to prove the following conjectures of Z.W.Sun: For any old prime $p$, we have $$\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}\frac{P_k}{8^k}\equiv1+2\bi…
For $A,B\in\mathbb Z$, the Lucas sequence $u_n(A,B)\ (n=0,1,2,\ldots)$ are defined by $u_0(A,B)=0$, $u_1(A,B)=1$, and $u_{n+1}(A,B) = Au_n(A,B)-Bu_{n-1}(A,B)$ $(n=1,2,3,\ldots).$ For any odd prime $p$ and positive integer $n$, we establish the new result $$\frac{u_{pn}(A,B) - (\frac{A^2-4B}p) u_n(A,B)}{pn} \in \mathbb Z_p,$$ where $(\frac{\cdot}p)$ is the Legendre symbol and $\mathbb Z_p$ is the ring of $p$-adic integers. Let $p$ be an odd prime and let $n$ be a positive integer. For any integer $m\not\equiv0\pmod p$, we show that $$\frac1{pn}\bigg(\sum_{k=0}^{pn-1} \frac{\binom{2k}k}{m^k} -\l…
For any odd prime p we obtain q-analogues of Van Hamme's supercongruence: $$ \sum_{k=0}^{\frac{p-1}{2}}{2k\choose k}^3\frac{1}{64^k} \equiv 0 \pmod{p^2} \quad\text{for}\quad p\equiv 3\pmod 4, $$ and Rodriguez-Villegas' Beukers-like supercongruences involving products of three binomial coefficients. For example, we prove that \begin{align*} \sum_{k=0}^{\frac{p-1}{2}} {2k\brack k}_{q^2}^3 \frac{q^{2k}}{(-q^2;q^2)_k^2 (-q;q)_{2k}^2} &\equiv 0\pmod{[p]^2} \quad\text{for}\quad p\equiv 3\pmod 4, \\ \sum_{k=0}^{\frac{p-1}{2}}{2k\brack k}_{q^3}\frac{(q;q^3)_k (q^{2};q^3)_{k} q^{3k} }{ (q^{6};q^{6})_k^…
Recently, Z.-W. Sun introduced two kinds of polynomials related to the Delannoy numbers, and proved some supercongruences on sums involving those polynomials. We deduce new summation formulas for squares of those polynomials and use them to prove that certain rational sums involving even powers of those polynomials are integers whenever they are evaluated at integers. This confirms two conjectures of Z.-W. Sun. We also conjecture that many of these results have neat $q$-analogues.
In terms of the derivative operator and three hypergeometric series identities, several interesting summation formulas involving generalized harmonic numbers are established.
In terms of the derivative operator, integral operator and Saalschütz's theorem, two families of summation formulae involving generalized harmonic numbers are established.
Combining the derivative operator with a binomial sum from the telescoping method, we establish a family of summation formulas involving generalized harmonic numbers.
By means of the derivative operator and Chu-Vandermonde convolution, four families of summation formulas involving harmonic numbers with even or odd indexes are established.
Some finite series of harmonic numbers involving certain reciprocals are evaluated. Products of such reciprocals are expanded in a sum of the individual reciprocals, leading to a computer program. A list of examples is provided.
In terms of the derivative operator and Watson-type $_3F_2$-series identities, three families of summation formulae involving generalized harmonic numbers are established.
By means of the derivative operator and Whipple-type $_3F_2$-series identities, two families of summation formulae involving generalized harmonic numbers are established.
In this note, we extend the definition of multiple harmonic sums and apply their stuffle relations to obtain explicit evaluations of the sums $R_n(p,t)=\sum\nolimits_{m=0}^n m^p H_m^t$, where $H_m$ are harmonic numbers. When $t\le 4$ these sums were first studied by Spieß around 1990 and, more recently, by Jin and Sun. Our key step first is to find an explicit formula of a special type of the extended multiple harmonic sums. This also enables us to provide a general structural result of the sums $R_n(p,t)$ for all $t\ge 0$.
Summation by parts is used to find the sum of a finite series of generalized harmonic numbers involving a specific polynomial or rational function. The Euler-Maclaurin formula for sums of powers is used to find the sums of some finite series of generalized harmonic numbers involving nonnegative integer powers, which can be used to evaluate the sums of the finite series of generalized harmonic numbers involving polynomials. Many examples and a computer program are provided.
Recently, Chen, Hou and Jin used both Abel's lemma on summation by parts and Zeilberger's algorithm to generate recurrence relations for definite summations. Meanwhile, they proposed the Abel-Gosper method to evaluate some indefinite sums involving harmonic numbers. In this paper, we use the Abel-Gosper method to prove an identity involving the generalized harmonic numbers. Special cases of this result reduce to many famous identities. In addition, we use both Abel's lemma and the WZ method to verify and to discover identities involving harmonic numbers. Many interesting examples are also pres…
In this paper, we give explicit evaluation for some infinite series involving generalized (alternating) harmonic numbers. In addition, some formulas for generalized (alternating) harmonic numbers will also be derived.
Given a prime $p\geq 5$, we reduce modulo p a convolution of order p-1 of powers of two weighted Bernoulli numbers with Bernoulli numbers in terms of harmonic numbers and generalized harmonic numbers. Our proof is based on studying the p-adic expansion of the number of permutations of Sym(p-2) with an even number of ascents, up to the modulus $p^2$.
This paper contains a number of series whose coefficients are products of central binomial coefficients & harmonic numbers. An elegant sum involving $ζ(2)$ and two other nice sums appear in the last section.
The harmonic numbers $H_n=\sum_{0<k\le n}1/k\ (n=0,1,2,\ldots)$ play important roles in mathematics. Let $p>3$ be a prime. With helps of some combinatorial identities, we establish the following two new congruences: $$\sum_{k=1}^{p-1}\frac{\binom{2k}k}kH_k\equiv\frac13\left(\frac p3\right)B_{p-2}\left(\frac13\right)\pmod{p}$$ and $$\sum_{k=1}^{p-1}\frac{\binom{2k}k}kH_{2k}\equiv\frac7{12}\left(\frac p3\right)B_{p-2}\left(\frac13\right)\pmod{p},$$ where $B_n(x)$ denotes the Bernoulli polynomial of degree $n$. As an application, we determine $\sum_{n=1}^{p-1}g_n$ and $\sum_{n=1}^{p-1}h_n$ modulo…
In this paper, we will give another proof of Zhi-Wei Sun's three conjectures on Apéry-like sums involving harmonic numbers by proving some identities among special values of multiple polylogarithms.
We consider a special class of binomial sums involving harmonic numbers and we prove three identities by using the elementary method of the partial fraction decomposition. Some applications to infinite series and congruences are given.
