English

p-adic valuations of some sums of multinomial coefficients

Number Theory 2011-04-14 v7 Combinatorics

Abstract

Let mm and n>0n>0 be integers. Suppose that pp is a prime dividing m4m-4 but not dividing mm. We show that νp(k=0n1(2kk)mk)\nu_p(\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}\frac{\binom{2k}k}{m^k}) and νp(k=0n1(n1k)(1)k(2kk)mk)\nu_p(\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}\binom{n-1}{k}(-1)^k\frac{\binom{2k}k}{m^k}) are at least νp(n)\nu_p(n), where νp(x)\nu_p(x) denotes the pp-adic valuation of xx. Furthermore, if p>3p>3 then n1k=0n1\bi2kkmk=(2n1n1)4n1(modpνp(m4))n^{-1}\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}\frac{\bi{2k}k}{m^k}=\frac{\binom{2n-1}{n-1}}{4^{n-1}} (mod p^{\nu_p(m-4)}) and n1k=0n1(n1k)(1)k(2kk)mk=Cn14n1(modpνp(m4)),n^{-1}\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}\binom{n-1}{k}(-1)^k\frac{\binom{2k}k}{m^k}=\frac{C_{n-1}}{4^{n-1}} (mod p^{\nu_p(m-4)}), where CkC_k denotes the Catalan number (2kk)/(k+1)\binom{2k}{k}/(k+1). This implies several conjectures of Guo and Zeng [GZ]. We also raise two conjectures, and prove that n>1n>1 is a prime if and only if k=0n1multinomial(n1)kk,...,k=0(modn),\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}multinomial{(n-1)k}{k,...,k}=0 (mod n), where multinomialk1+...+kn1k1,...,kn1multinomial{k_1+...+k_{n-1}}{k_1,...,k_{n-1}} denotes the multinomial coefficient (k1+...+kn1)!/(k1!...kn1!)(k_1+...+k_{n-1})!/(k_1!... k_{n-1}!).

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0910.3892,
  title  = {p-adic valuations of some sums of multinomial coefficients},
  author = {Zhi-Wei Sun},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0910.3892},
  year   = {2011}
}

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16 pages