On the irrationality of factorial series. II (Q2268797)

Let \((a_n)_{n=1}^\infty\) be a sequence of integers such that for infinitely many \(N\) the sequence \[ a_{N-K},a_{N-K+1},\ldots,a_{N+K+H} \] forms a nonzero geometric sequence with quotient \(\frac cd\) where \(c=c(N)\) and \(d=d(N)\) are positive coprime integers and where \(K=K(N)\) and \(H=H(N)\) with \(N-K\to\infty\) as \(N\to\infty\). The authors prove a sufficient condition for the irrationality of the number \(S:=\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{a_n}{(a+b)_{a,n}}\), where \(a>0\), \(b\geq 0\) are integers and \((x)_{a,n}=x(x+n)\ldots(x+(n-1)a)\). As an application the numbers \(\alpha_m=\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{(\pi(n))^m}{n!}\), \(m\geq 0\) an integer, are irrational, where \(\pi(n)\) is the prime counting function. Let \((a_n)_{n=1}^\infty\) be a sequence of Gaussian integers such that \(a_N,a_{N+1},\ldots,a_{4N}\) form a geometric sequence for infinitely many \(N\). Assume that \(a_n=o(n^{\frac n7})\) for \(n\) sufficiently large. Then \(S\) is irrational or \[ a^N\sum_{n=0}^{N-1}a_{2N+n}\frac{(N+n)!}{n!(2aN+b)_{a,N+n+1}}=o(N^{-\frac{N}{8}}) \] for infinitely such \(N\). As an application one obtains the irrationality of \(e^m\) and of \(\pi\). Part I, see Acta Arith. 118, No. 4, 383--401 (2005; Zbl 1088.11054), Part III, Indag. Math., New Ser. 20, No. 4, 537--549 (2009; Zbl 1244.11069).