Some congruences modulo 5 and 25 for overpartitions (Q1623891): Difference between revisions

An overpartition of a positive integer \(n\) is a partition of \(n\) where the first occurrence of each distinct part may be overlined. Let \(\bar{p}(n)\) denote the number of overpartitions of \(n\) and set \(\bar{p}(0)\) to be 1 by convention. We use the q-series notation \((a;q)_{\infty}:=\prod_{n=0}^\infty (1-aq^n)\) as usual. It is well known that \(\bar{p}(n)\) satisfies the generating function \[ \sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\bar{p}(n)q^n=\frac{(-q;q)_{\infty}}{(q;q)_{\infty}}=\frac{(q^2;q^2)_{\infty}}{(q;q)^2_{\infty}}. \] Congruences for \(\bar{p}(n)\) have been extensively studied. In the paper under review, the authors give an elementary proof of the following four Ramanujan-type congruences modulo 25: \begin{align*} \bar{p}(80n+8)\equiv 0\ \pmod{25}, \\ \bar{p}(80n+52)\equiv 0\ \pmod{25}, \\ \bar{p}(80n+68)\equiv 0\ \pmod{25}, \\ \bar{p}(80n+72)\equiv 0\ \pmod{25}, \end{align*} which were conjectured by the reviewer and \textit{B. L. S. Lin} [Ramanujan J. 44, No. 2, 401--410 (2017; Zbl 1402.11126)], and proved by \textit{M. D. Hirschhorn} [N. Z. J. Math. 46, 141--144 (2016; Zbl 1402.11127)]. In addition, the authors also prove two new congruences modulo 5 for \(\bar{p}(n)\) via the theory of modular forms, that is: \begin{align*} \bar{p}(135n+63)\equiv 0\ \pmod 5,\\ \bar{p}(135n+117)\equiv 0\ \pmod 5. \end{align*} The paper closes with remarks that the first four congruences modulo 25 aforementioned can also be proved using the theory of modular forms.