English

Divisibility Properties of Integer Sequences

Number Theory 2023-02-07 v1

Abstract

A sequence of nonzero integers f=(f1,f2,)f = (f_1, f_2, \dots) is ``binomid'' if every ff-binomid coefficient [ ⁣nk ⁣]f\left[\! \begin{array}{c} n \\ k \end{array}\! \right]_f is an integer. Those terms are the generalized binomial coefficients: [ ⁣nk ⁣]f = fnfn1fnk+1fkfk1f1. \left[\! \begin{array}{c} n \\ k \end{array}\! \right]_f \ = \ \frac{ f_nf_{n-1}\cdots f_{n-k+1} }{ f_kf_{k-1}\cdots f_1 }. Let Δ(f)\Delta(f) be the infinite triangle with those numbers as entries. When I=(1,2,3,)I = (1, 2, 3, \dots) then Δ(I)\Delta(I) is Pascal's Triangle so that II is binomid. Surprisingly, every row and column of Pascal's Triangle is also binomid. For any ff, each row and column of Δ(f)\Delta(f) generates its own triangle and all those triangles fit together to form the ``Binomid Pyramid'' BP(f)\mathbb{BP}(f). Sequence ff is ``binomid at every level'' if all entries of BP(f)\mathbb{BP}(f) are integers. We prove that several familiar sequences have that property, including the Lucas sequences. In particular, I=(1,2,3,)I = (1, 2, 3, \dots ), the sequence of Fibonacci numbers, and (2n1)n1(2^n - 1)_{n \ge 1} are binomid at every level.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2302.02243,
  title  = {Divisibility Properties of Integer Sequences},
  author = {Daniel B. Shapiro},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2302.02243},
  year   = {2023}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-28T08:32:07.614Z