Interpreting the truncated pentagonal number theorem using partition pairs (Q491559)

Summary: In 2012 \textit{G. E. Andrews} and \textit{M. Merca} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 119, No. 8, 1639--1643 (2012; Zbl 1246.05014)] gave a new expansion for partial sums of Euler's pentagonal number series and expressed \[ \sum_{j=0}^{k-1}(-1)^j(p(n-j(3j+1)/2)-p(n-j(3j+5)/2-1))=(-1)^{k-1}M_k(n) \] where \(M_k(n)\) is the number of partitions of \(n\) where \(k\) is the least integer that does not occur as a part and there are more parts greater than \(k\) than there are less than \(k\). We show that \(M_k(n)=C_k(n)\) where \(C_k(n)\) is the number of partition pairs \((S, U)\) where \(S\) is a partition with parts greater than \(k\), \(U\) is a partition with \(k-1\) distinct parts all of which are greater than the smallest part in \(S\), and the sum of the parts in \(S \cup U\) is \(n\). We use partition pairs to determine what is counted by three similar expressions involving linear combinations of pentagonal numbers. Most of the results will be presented analytically and combinatorially.