Related papers: On a conjecture of Wilf

Let $n$ and $k$ be positive integers. We denote by $v_2(n)$ the 2-adic valuation of $n$. The Stirling numbers of the first kind, denoted by $s(n,k)$, counts the number of permutations of $n$ elements with $k$ disjoint cycles. In recent…

We generalize the Stirling numbers of the first kind $s(a,k)$ to the case where $a$ may be an arbitrary real number. In particular, we study the case in which $a$ is an integer. There, we discover new combinatorial properties held by the…

Let $f:\Z/q\Z\rightarrow\Z$ be such that $f(a)=\pm 1$ for $1\le a<q$, and $f(q)=0$. Then Erd\"os conjectured that $\sum_{n\ge1}\frac{f(n)}{n} \ne 0$. For $q$ even, this is trivially true. If $q\equiv 3$ ( mod $4$), Murty and Saradha proved…

In this short note we provide some algebraic identity with a proof exploiting its probabilistic interpretation. We show several consequences of the identity, in particular we obtain a new representation of a Stirling number of second kind,…

We study divisibility properties of certain sums and alternating sums involving binomial coefficients and powers of integers. For example, we prove that for all positive integers $n_1,..., n_m$, $n_{m+1}=n_1$, and any nonnegative integer…

In this paper, we study some supercongruences involving the sequence $$ t_n(x)=\sum_{k=0}^n\binom{n}{k}\binom{x}{k}\binom{x+k}{k}2^k $$ and solve some open problems. For any odd prime $p$ and $p$-adic integer $x$, we determine…

By applying the Newton-Gregory expansion to the polynomial associated with the sum of powers of integers $S_k(n) = 1^k + 2^k + \cdots + n^k$, we derive a couple of infinite families of explicit formulas for $S_k(n)$. One of the families…

We show that the alternating sum of the floor function of $\sqrt{jn}$, with $j$ ranging from 1 to $n$, has an easy evaluation for all odd integers $n\geq 1$. This is in contrast to known non-alternating sums of the same type which hold only…

Let $a_{i,j}(n)$ denote the number of walks in $n$ steps from $(0,0)$ to $(i,j)$, with steps $(\pm 1,0)$ and $(0,\pm 1)$, never touching a point $(-k,0)$ with $k\ge 0$ after the starting point. \bous and Schaeffer conjectured a closed form…

In this paper, we use our previous study of the higher order Bernoulli numbers $B_n^{(l)}$ to investigate the $p$-adic properties of the Stirling numbers of the second kind $S(n,k)$. For example, we give a new, greatly simplified proof of…

In this paper we study a family of polynomials $$S_n^{(m)}(x):=\sum_{i,j=0}^n\binom ni^m\binom nj^m\binom{i+j}ix^{i+j}\ \ (m,n=0,1,2,\ldots).$$ For example, we show that $$\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}S_k^{(0)}(x)\equiv\frac…

A recent conjecture by C. Carlet on the sum-freedom of the binary multiplicative inverse function can be stated as follows: For each pair of positive integers $(n,k)$ with $3\le k\le n-3$, there is a $k$-dimensional $\Bbb F_2$-subspace $E$…

Let $$ A_{m,n}(a)=\sum_{j=0}^m (-4)^j {m+j\choose 2j}\sum_{k=0}^{n-1} \sin(a+2k\pi/n) \cos^{2j}(a+2k\pi/n) $$ and $$ B_{m,n}(a)=\sum_{j=0}^m (-4)^j {m+j+1\choose 2j+1}\sum_{k=0}^{n-1} \sin(a+2k\pi/n) \cos^{2j+1}(a+2k\pi/n), $$ where $m\geq…

We investigate complement-finite submonoids of the monoid of nonnegative integer points of a unipotent linear algebraic group $G$. These monoids are in general noncommutative but they specialize to the generalized numerical monoids of…

We study parafermion vertex algebras $N_{-3/2}(\frak{sl}(2))$ and $N_{-3/2}(\frak{sl}(3))$. Using the isomorphism between $N_{-3/2}(\frak{sl}(3))$ and the logarithmic vertex algebra $\mathcal{W}^{0} (2)_{A_2} $ from [2], we show that these…

For the Stirling numbers of the second kind $S(n,k)$ and the ordered Bell numbers $B(n)$, we prove the identity $\sum_{k=1}^{n/2} S(n,2k)(2k-1)! = B(n-1)$. An analogous identity holds for the sum over odd $k$'s.

We study Wilf's conjecture for numerical semigroups $S$ such that the second least generator $a_2$ of $S$ satisfies $a_2>\frac{c(S)+\mu(S)}{3}$, where $c(S)$ is the conductor and $\mu(S)$ the multiplicity of $S$. In particular, we show that…

For various positive integers $k$, the sums of $k$th powers of the first $n$ positive integers, $S_k(n+1)=1^k+2^k+...+n^k$, have got to be some of the most popular sums in all of mathematics. In this note we prove that for each $k\ge 2 $$…

We consider incomplete exponential sums in several variables of the form S(f,n,m) = \frac{1}{2^n} \sum_{x_1 \in \{-1,1\}} ... \sum_{x_n \in \{-1,1\}} x_1 ... x_n e^{2\pi i f(x)/p}, where m>1 is odd and f is a polynomial of degree d with…

Let S(n,k) denote the Stirling numbers of the second kind. We prove that the p-adic limit of S(p^e a + c, p^e b + d) as e goes to infinity exists for all integers a, b, c, and d. We call the limiting p-adic integer S(p^\infty a + c,…