Proof of some conjectures of Z.-W. Sun on congruences for Apéry polynomials (Q423617)

As immediately clarified, the main purpose of this paper is to confirm diverse conjectures of \textit{Z.-W. Sun} [J. Number Theory 132, No. 11, 2673--2699 (2012; Zbl 1275.11038); ``Conjectures and results on \(x^2 \bmod p^2\) with \(4p=x^2+dy^2\)'', \url{arXiv:1103.4325}] on the congruences for the sum \[ \sum_{k=0}^{n-1}(-1)^k(2k+1)A_k(x) \text{ with } x\in \mathbb Z , \] where \[ A_n(x)=\sum_{k=0}^n\binom{n}{k}^2\binom{n+k}{k}^2x^k \text{ with } n\in \mathbb N \] are the polynomials defined by \textit{R. Apéry} [Astérisque 61, 11--13 (1979; Zbl 0401.10049)] and reducible to the \textit{Apéry} numbers investigated, e.g., by \textit{F. Beukers} [J. Number Theory 25, 201--210 (1987; Zbl 0614.10011)], by \textit{S. Chowla} et al. [J. Number Theory 12, 188--190 (1980; Zbl 0428.10008)] and by \textit{I. Gessel} [J. Number Theory 14, 362--368 (1982; Zbl 0482.10003)]. Beyond basic tools like the induction, the Legendre symbol, the Chu-Vandermonde summation formula, the Lagrange interpolation formula, in the proof the authors employ: the polynomials introduced by \textit{A. L. Schmidt} [J. Comput. Appl. Math. 49, No. 1--3, 243--249 (1993; Zbl 0797.33013)] and linked to the Delannoy polynomials studied by \textit{Z.-W. Sun} [``Congruences involving generalized central trinomial coefficients'', \url{arXiv:1008.3887}]; two different special cases, respectively from \textit{G. E. Andrews} [Discrete Math. 11, 97--106 (1975; Zbl 0301.05006)] and \textit{R. P. Stanley} [Enumerative combinatorics. Vol. 1. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1997; Zbl 0889.05001)], of the Pfaff-Saalschütz identity; a theorem supplied by \textit{V. J. W. Guo} and \textit{J. Zeng} [Int. J. Number Theory 8, No. 8, 2003--2016 (2012; Zbl 1268.11028)]; congruences given by \textit{Z.-W. Sun} and \textit{R. Tauraso} [Adv. Appl. Math. 45, No. 1, 125--148 (2010; Zbl 1231.11021), Int. J. Number Theory 7, No. 3, 645--662 (2011; Zbl 1247.11027)] and by \textit{Z. Sun} [Sci. China, Math. 53, No. 9, 2473--2488 (2010; Zbl 1221.11054)]. The authors recall an identity, obtained by \textit{E. Mortenson} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 355, No. 3, 987--1007 (2003; Zbl 1074.11044)] via the creative telescoping method, highlighting its importance to prove the conjectures raised by \textit{F. Rodriguez-Villegas} [Fields Inst. Commun. 38, 223--231 (2003; Zbl 1062.11038)]. The authors also remark that a stronger version of a result of theirs was independently established by \textit{S. Mattarei} and \textit{R. Tauraso} [J. Number Theory 133, No. 1, 131--157 (2013; Zbl 1300.11020)] and by \textit{Z.-W. Sun} [``Open conjectures on congruences'', \url{arXiv:0911.5665}].