Related papers: On the binomial transforms of Ap\'ery-like sequenc…

We prove a conjecture that classifies exceptional numbers. This conjecture arises in two different ways, from cryptography and from coding theory. An odd integer $t\geq 3$ is said to be exceptional if $f(x)=x^t$ is APN (Almost Perfect…

The Apery polynomials are defined by $A_n(x)=\sum_{k=0}^{n}{n\choose k}^2{n+k\choose k}^2 x^k$ for all nonnegative integers $n$. We confirm several conjectures of Z.-W. Sun on the congruences for the sum $\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}(-1)^k(2k+1)…

Given a prime number $p$, the study of divisibility properties of a sequence $c(n)$ has two contending approaches: $p$-adic valuations and superconcongruences. The former searches for the highest power of $p$ dividing $c(n)$, for each $n$;…

Many generating series of combinatorially interesting numbers have the property that the sum of the terms of order $<p$ at some suitable point is congruent to a zero of a zeta-function modulo infinitely many primes $p$. Surprisingly, very…

Let $p>3$ be a prime. We prove that $$\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}\binom{2k}{k}/2^k=(-1)^{(p-1)/2}-p^2E_{p-3} (mod p^3),$$ $$\sum_{k=1}^{(p-1)/2}\binom{2k}{k}/k=(-1)^{(p+1)/2}8/3*pE_{p-3} (mod p^2),$$…

A sequence $a=(a_n)_{n=1}^\infty$ of non-negative integers is called realizable if there is a self-map $T:X\to X$ on a set $X$ such that $a_n$ is equal to the number of periodic points of $T$ in $X$ of (not necessarily exact) period $n$,…

The sequence $A(n)_{n \geq 0}$ of Ap\'ery numbers can be interpolated to $\mathbb{C}$ by an entire function. We give a formula for the Taylor coefficients of this function, centered at the origin, as a $\mathbb{Z}$-linear combination of…

For a given real number $a$ we define the sequence $\{E_{n,a}\}$ by $E_{0,a}=1$ and $E_{n,a}=-a\sum_{k=1}^{[n/2]} \binom n{2k}E_{n-2k,a}$ $(n\ge 1)$, where $[x]$ is the greatest integer not exceeding $x$. Since $E_{n,1}=E_n$ is the n-th…

We explain in detail how to accelerate continued fractions (for constants as well as for functions) using the method used by R.~Ap\'ery in his proof of the irrationality of $\zeta(3)$. We show in particular that this can be applied to a…

A sequence $S=s_{1}s_{2}..._{n}$ is \emph{nonrepetitive} if no two adjacent blocks of $S$ are identical. In 1906 Thue proved that there exist arbitrarily long nonrepetitive sequences over 3-element set of symbols. We study a generalization…

We call an integer a \emph{near-square} if its absolute value is a square or a prime times a square. We investigate such near-squares in the binary recurrence sequences defined for integers $a \geq 3$ by $u_{0}(a)=0$, $u_{1}(a)=1$ and…

Many authors have investigated the congruence relations amongst the coefficients of power series expansions of modular forms $f$ in modular functions $t$. In a recent paper, R. Osburn and B. Sahu examine several power series expansions and…

Let $p>3$ be a prime, and let $a$ be a rational p-adic integer with $a\not\equiv 0\pmod p$. In this paper we establish congruences for $$\sum_{k=1}^{(p-1)/2}\frac{\binom ak\binom{-1-a}k}k, \quad\sum_{k=0}^{(p-1)/2}k\binom ak\binom{-1-a}k…

The inverse central binomial series {equation}S_k(z)=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{n^k z^n}{\binom{2n}{n}}{equation} popularized by Ap\'ery and Lehmer is evaluated for positive integers $k$ along with the asymptotic behavior for large $k$. It is…

New (infinitely many) rational approximants to \zeta(3) proving its irrationality are given. The recurrence relations for the numerator and denominator of these approximants as well as their continued fraction expansions are obtained. A…

In this paper, we will apply the ideas from the mirror symmetry of Calabi-Yau threefolds to study the modular forms and one-parameter family of K3 surfaces found by Beukers and Peters, which provide enlightenment to the two mysterious…

Beuker's [2] considers the following integral $$ \int_{0}^{1}\int_{0}^{1} \frac{-\log xy}{1-xy} P_n(x)P_n(y)\ dx dy$$If $d_n=\text{LCM}(1,2,...,n)$, then $$ 0<\frac{|A_n+B_n\zeta(3)|}{d_n^3}<2(\sqrt{2}-1)^{4n} \zeta(3) $$ for some…

The Ap\'ery numbers $A_n$ and central Delannoy numbers $D_n$ are defined by $$A_n=\sum_{k=0}^{n}{n+k\choose 2k}^2{2k\choose k}^2, \quad D_n=\sum_{k=0}^{n}{n+k\choose 2k}{2k\choose k}. $$ Motivated by some recent work of Z.-W. Sun, we prove…

We consider a family of polynomial analogs of the Ap\'ery numbers, which includes $q$-analogs of Krattenthaler--Rivoal--Zudilin and Zheng, and show that the supercongruences that Gessel and Mimura established for the Ap\'ery numbers…

In this paper, we pose many challenging conjectures on congruences involving binomial coefficients and Ap\'ery-like numbers.