English

Residues of Terms of Lucas Sequences Modulo $3^k$

Number Theory 2025-11-04 v1

Abstract

The Fibonacci sequence defined by F0=0F_0=0, F1=1F_1=1, and Fn=Fn1+Fn2F_n=F_{n-1}+F_{n-2} has a shortest period length of 43k14\cdot 3^{k-1} modulo 3k3^k for every kNk\in\mathbb{N}. In 2011, Bundschuh and Bundschuh \cite{bundschuh3} gave the frequencies of every residue 0b3k10\leq b\leq 3^k-1 in this shortest period. In particular, their result implies that the Fibonacci sequences is not stable modulo 33. Here we extend this result to other Lucas sequences. More specifically, we give analogous results for Lucas sequences defined by (un)n\left(u_n\right)_n with u0=0u_0=0, u1=1u_1=1, and un=Pun1+un2u_n=Pu_{n-1}+u_{n-2} for all n2n\geq 2, as well as Lucas sequences defined by (vn)n\left(v_n\right)_n with v0=2v_0=2, v1=Pv_1=P, and vn=Pvn1+vn2v_n=Pv_{n-1}+v_{n-2} for all n2n\geq 2. In particular, our result implies that none of these Lucas sequences are stable modulo 33 either.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2511.00722,
  title  = {Residues of Terms of Lucas Sequences Modulo $3^k$},
  author = {J. C. Saunders and R. Nicholas Stephens},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2511.00722},
  year   = {2025}
}