An algorithmic approach to Ramanujan's congruences (Q1047807)

Quoting the author, ``In this paper we present an algorithm that takes as input a generating function of the form \[ \prod_{\delta \mid M}\prod_{n=1}^{\infty} (1-q^{\delta n})^{r_\delta} = \sum_{n \geq 0}a(n)q^n \] and three positive integers \(m,t,p\), and which returns true if \({a(mn+t)} \equiv 0 \pmod{p}\), \(n \geq 0\), or false otherwise.'' Here \(M\) is a positive integer and \(r = (r_\delta)\) is a sequence of integers indexed by the positive integer divisors of \(M\). To arrive at his algorithm the author first defines the functions \[ g_{m,t'}(\tau) = q^{\star}\sum_{n \geq 0} a(mn+t')q^n \] (for all \(t'\) with \(0 \leq t' \leq m-1\) and for an appropriately chosen \(\star\)) and makes a detailed study of their transformations under the modular group \(\text{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})\). Using the \(g_{m, t'}\) and powers of the \(\eta\)-function as building blocks, the author then constructs a certain function \(V(\tau)\) so that (i) \(V(\tau)\) is a holomorphic modular form for some group \(\Gamma_0(N)\) and (ii) the congruence \(a(mn+t) \equiv 0 \pmod{p}\) corresponds to a congruence for \(V(\tau)\). Using a theorem of Sturm, this reduces proving the desired congruence to finite computation. The author closes the paper with a number of examples and compares his approach with related applications of Sturm's theorem.