We define an extension of parity from the integers to the rational numbers. Three parity classes are found -- even, odd and `none'. Using the 2-adic valuation, we partition the rationals into subgroups with a rich algebraic structure. The natural density provides a means of distinguishing the sizes of countably infinite sets. The Calkin-Wilf tree has a remarkably simple parity pattern, with the sequence `odd/none/even' repeating indefinitely. This pattern means that the three parity classes have equal natural density in the rationals. A similar result holds for the Stern-Brocot tree.
In this paper, we present a generalization of one of the theorems in [G. E. Andrews, Partitions with parts separated by parity, \textit{Annals of Combinatorics} \textbf{23}(2019), 241 - 248], and give its bijective proof. Further variations of related partition functions are studied resulting in a number of interesting identities.
We give a complete characterization of the parity of $b_8(n)$, the number of $8$-regular partitions of $n$. Namely, we prove that $b_8(n)$ is odd or even depending on whether or not we have the factorisation $24n+7=p^{4a+1}m^2$, for some prime $p\nmid m$ and $a\ge 0$.
Improving on some results of J.-L. Nicolas \cite {Ndeb}, the elements of the set ${\cal A}={\cal A}(1+z+z^3+z^4+z^5)$, for which the partition function $p({\cal A},n)$ (i.e. the number of partitions of $n$ with parts in ${\cal A}$) is even for all $n\geq 6$ are determined. An asymptotic estimate to the counting function of this set is also given.
We improve S.-C. Chen's result on the parity of Schur's partition function. Let $A(n)$ be the number of Schur's partitions of $n$, i.e., the number of partitions of $n$ into distinct parts congruent to $1, 2 \mod{3}$. S.-C. Chen \cite{MR3959837} shows $\small \frac{x}{(\log{x})^{\frac{47}{48}}} \ll \sharp \{0\le n\le x:A(2n+1)\; \text{is odd}\}\ll \frac{x}{(\log{x})^{\frac{1}{2}}}$. In this paper, we improve Chen's result to $\frac{x}{(\log{x})^{\frac{11}{12}}} \ll \sharp \{0\le n\le x:A(2n+1)\; \text{is odd}\}\ll \frac{x}{(\log{x})^{\frac{1}{2}}}.$
We obtain a combinatorial proof of a surprising weighted partition equality of Berkovich and Uncu. Our proof naturally leads to a formula for the number of partitions with a given parity of the smallest part, in terms of S(i), the number of partitions of i into distinct parts with even rank minus the number with odd rank, for which there is an almost closed formula by Andrews, Dyson and Hickerson. This method of calculating the number of partitions of n with a given parity of the smallest part is practical and efficient.
We prove several results on the number of rational points on open subsets of Kummer varieties of arbitrary dimension. Some of our results are unconditional, and others depend on the Parity Conjecture (a corollary of the Conjecture of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer). As examples, we show that (conditional on the Parity Conjecture) all odd-dimension Kummer varieties over Q which are quotients of absolutely simple abelian varieties have dense rational points, and we construct an infinite family of K3 surfaces with dense rational points.
For a positive integer $t\geq 2$, let $b_{t}(n)$ denote the number of $t$-regular partitions of a nonnegative integer $n$. In a recent paper, Keith and Zanello investigated the parity of $b_{t}(n)$ when $t\leq 28$. They discovered new infinite families of Ramanujan type congruences modulo 2 for $b_{21}(n)$ involving every prime $p$ with $p\equiv 13, 17, 19, 23 \pmod{24}$. In this paper, we investigate the parity of $b_{21}(n)$ involving the primes $p$ with $p\equiv 1, 5, 7, 11 \pmod{24}$. We prove new infinite families of Ramanujan type congruences modulo 2 for $b_{21}(n)$ involving the odd pr…
A partition statistic ` crank' gives combinatorial interpretations for Ramanujan's famous partition congruences. In this paper, we establish an asymptotic formula, Ramanujan type congruences, and q-series identities that the number of partitions with even crank $M_e(n)$ minus the number of partitions with odd crank $M_o(n)$ satisfies. For example, we show that $M_e(5n+4)-M_o(5n+4)\equiv 0 \pmod 5.$ We also determine the exact values of $M_e(n)-M_o(n)$ in case of partitions into distinct parts, which are at most two and zero for infinitely many $n$.
Andrews and Newman introduced the mex-function $\text{mex}_{A,a}(λ)$ for an integer partition $λ$ of a positive integer $n$ as the smallest positive integer congruent to $a$ modulo $A$ that is not a part of $λ$. They then defined $p_{A,a}(n)$ to be the number of partitions $λ$ of $n$ satisfying $\text{mex}_{A,a}(λ)\equiv a\pmod{2A}$. They found the generating function for $p_{t,t}(n)$ and $p_{2t,t}(n)$ for any positive integer $t$, and studied their arithmetic properties for some small values of $t$. In this article, we study the partition function $p_{mt,t}(n)$ for all positive integers $m$ a…
Let $p_{o}(n)$ (resp. $p_{e}(n)$) denote the number of partitions of $n$ with more odd parts (resp. even parts) than even parts (resp. odd parts). Recently, Kim, Kim, and Lovejoy proved that $p_{o}(n)>p_{e}(n)$ for all $n>2$ and conjectured that $d_{o}(n)>d_{e}(n)$ for all $n>19$ where $d_{o}(n)$ (resp. $d_{e}(n)$) denote the number of partitions into distinct parts having more odd parts (resp. even parts) than even parts (resp. odd parts). In this paper we provide combinatorial proofs for both the result and the conjecture of Kim, Kim and Lovejoy. In addition, we show that if we restrict the …
The partition function is known to exhibit beautiful congruences that are often proved using the theory of modular forms. In this paper, we study the extent to which these congruence results apply to the generalized Frobenius partitions defined by Andrews. In particular, we prove that there are infinitely many congruences for $cϕ_k(n)$ modulo $\ell,$ where $\gcd(\ell,6k)=1,$ and we also prove results on the parity of $cϕ_k(n).$ Along the way, we prove results regarding the parity of coefficients of weakly holomorphic modular forms which generalize work of Ono.
A Goellnitz-Gordon partition is one in which the parts differ by at least 2, and where the inequality is strict if a part is even. Let Q_i(n) denote the number of partitions of n into distinct parts not congruent to i mod 4. By attaching weights which are powers of 2 and imposing certain parity conditions on Goellnitz-Gordon partitions, we show that these are equinumerous with Q_i(n) for i=0,2. These complement results of Goellnitz on Q_i(n) for i=1,3, and of Alladi who provided a uniform treatment of all four Q_i(n), i=0,1,2,3, in terms of weighted partitions into parts differing by >= 4. Our…
Let $b_3(n)$ be the number of $3$-regular partitions of $n$. Recently, W. J. Keith and F. Zanello discovered infinite families of Ramanujan type congruences modulo $2$ for $b_3(2n)$ involving every prime $p$ with $p \equiv 13, 17, 19, 23 \pmod {24}$, and O. X. M. Yao provided new infinite families of Ramanujan type congruences modulo $2$ for $b_3(2n)$ involving every prime $p\geqslant 5$. In this paper, we introduce new infinite Ramanujan type congruences modulo $2$ for $b_3(2n)$. They complement naturally the results of Keith-Zanello and Yao and involve primes in $\mathcal P=\{p \text{ prime …
The minimal excludant, or "mex" function, on a set $S$ of positive integers is the least positive integer not in $S$. In a recent paper, Andrews and Newman extended the mex-function to integer partitions and found numerous surprising partition identities connected with these functions. Very recently, da Silva and Sellers present parity considerations of one of the families of functions Andrews and Newman studied, namely $p_{t,t}(n)$, and provide complete parity characterizations of $p_{1,1}(n)$ and $p_{3,3}(n)$. In this article, we study the parity of $p_{t,t}(n)$ when $t=2^α, 3\cdot 2^α$ for …
Recently, Hirschhorn and the first author considered the parity of the function $a(n)$ which counts the number of integer partitions of $n$ wherein each part appears with odd multiplicity. They derived an effective characterization of the parity of $a(2m)$ based solely on properties of $m.$ In this note, we quickly reprove their result, and then extend it to an explicit characterization of the parity of $a(n)$ for all $n\not\equiv 7 \pmod{8}.$ We also exhibit some infinite families of congruences modulo 2 which follow from these characterizations. We conclude by discussing the case $n\equiv 7 …
In 1979 Goldfeld conjectured: 50\% of the quadratic twists of an elliptic curve defined over the rationals have analytic rank zero. In this expository article we present a few recent developments towards the conjecture, especially its first instance - the congruent number elliptic curves.
If $ p_k(a,m,n) $ denotes the number of partitions of $n$ into $k$th powers with a number of parts that is congruent to $ a $ modulo $m,$ then $p_2(0,2,n)\sim p_2(1,2,n)$ and the sign of the difference $p_2(0,2,n)- p_k(1,2,n)$ alternates with the parity of $n,$ as proven by recent work of the author (2020). In this paper, we place the problem in a broader framework. By analytic arguments using the circle method and Gauss sums estimates, we show that the same results hold for any $ k\ge2. $ By combinatorial arguments, we show that the sign of the difference $p_k(0,2,n)- p_k(1,2,n)$ depends on t…
Following the method of combinatorial telescoping for alternating sums given by Chen, Hou and Mu, we present a combinatorial telescoping approach to partition identities on sums of positive terms. By giving a classification of the combinatorial objects corresponding to a sum of positive terms, we establish bijections that lead a telescoping relation. We illustrate this idea by giving a combinatorial telescoping relation for a classical identity of MacMahon. Recently, Andrews posed a problem of finding a combinatorial proof of an identity on the q-little Jacobi polynomials which was derived bas…
We continue the study of the $(a,b,m)$-copartition function $\mathrm{cp}_{a,b,m}(n)$, which arose as a combinatorial generalization of Andrews' partitions with even parts below odd parts. The generating function of $\mathrm{cp}_{a,b,m}(n)$ has a nice representation as an infinite product. In this paper, we focus on the parity of $\mathrm{cp}_{a,b,m}(n)$. As with the ordinary partition function, it is difficult to show positive density of either even or odd values of $\mathrm{cp}_{a,b,m}(n)$ for arbitrary $a, b$, and $m$. However, we find specific cases of $a,b,m$ such that $\mathrm{cp}_{a,b,m}…
Given two elliptic curves $E_1$ and $E_2$ defined over the field of rational numbers, $\mathbb{Q}$, with good reduction at an odd prime $p$ and equivalent mod $p$ Galois representation, we compare the $p$-Selmer rank, global and local root numbers of $E_1$ and $E_2$ over number fields.
In this paper we prove that the number of partitions into squares with an even number of parts is asymptotically equal to that of partitions into squares with an odd number of parts. We further show that, for $ n $ large enough, the two quantities are different and which of the two is bigger depends on the parity of $ n. $ This solves a recent conjecture formulated by Bringmann and Mahlburg (2012).
We find involutions for three Rogers-Ramanujan-Gordon type identities obtained by Andrews on the generating functions for partitions with part difference and parity restrictions.
For each $s\in\{2,4\}$, the generating function of $R_s(n)$, the number of partitions of $n$ into odd parts or congruent to $0$, $\pm s\pmod {10}$, arises naturally in regime III of Rodney Baxter's solution of the hard-hexagon model of statistical mechanics. For each $s\in\{1,3\}$, the generating function of $R^*_s(n)$, the number of partitions of $n$ into parts not congruent to $0$, $\pm s\pmod {10}$ and $10-2s \pmod {20}$, arises naturally in regime IV of Rodney Baxter's solution of the hard-hexagon model of statistical mechanics. In this paper, we investigate the parity of $R_s(n)$ and $R^*…
We investigate the parity of the coefficients of certain eta-quotients, extensively examining the case of $m$-regular partitions. Our theorems concern the density of their odd values, in particular establishing lacunarity modulo 2 for specified coefficients; self-similarities modulo 2; and infinite families of congruences in arithmetic progressions. For all $m \leq 28$, we either establish new results of these types where none were known, extend previous ones, or conjecture that such results are impossible. All of our work is consistent with a new, overarching conjecture that we present for ar…
Stanley defined a partition function t(n) as the number of partitions $λ$ of n such that the number of odd parts of $λ$ is congruent to the number of odd parts of the conjugate partition $λ'$ modulo 4. We show that t(n) equals the number of partitions of n with an even number of hooks of even length. We derive a closed-form formula for the generating function for the numbers p(n)-t(n). As a consequence, we see that t(n) has the same parity as the ordinary partition function p(n) for any n. A simple combinatorial explanation of this fact is also provided.
