Congruences involving Bernoulli and Euler numbers (Q2469220): Difference between revisions

Most results in this article express certain arithmetic sums modulo \(p^2\) or \(p^3\), with \(p\) an odd prime, in terms of Bernoulli and Euler numbers. The sums are typically of the form \(\sum_k c^k/k^n\), where \(k\) is in the range \(1,\dots,p-1\), often with some additional restrictions, and where \(c=1\) or 2 and \(n\) may vary between \(1\) and \(p-4\). One example of the author's formulas is, for \(p>5\), \[ \sum_{1\leq k < p/4} {1\over{k^2}} \equiv (-1)^{{p-1}\over 2}(8E_{p-3} -4E_{2p-4}) + {{14}\over 3}pB_{p-3} \pmod{p^2} \] with the usual (even index) notation of Euler numbers \(E_n\) and Bernoulli numbers \(B_n\). Many congruences contain the Fermat quotient \(q_p(a) = (a^{p-1}-1)/p\) for \(a=2\) or 3, for example, \[ \sum_{k=1}^{p-1} {{2^k}\over k} \equiv -2q_p(2)-{7\over{12}}p^2 B_{p-3} \pmod{p^3}, \] where \(p>3\). The results also allow the author to compute the residue of the binomial coefficient \({{p-1}\choose {[p/4]}}\) modulo \(p^4\) and \({{p-1}\choose{[p/6]}}\) modulo \(p^3\). It is clear that the results sharpen or extend many previously known results, among them (as mentioned by the author) congruences found by \textit{E.\ Lehmer} [Ann. Math. (2) 39, 350--360 (1938; Zbl 0019.00505)].