Some congruences for the Apéry numbers (Q1061760)

In 1978 R. Apéry introduced the numbers \(a_ n=\sum^{n}_{0}\left( \begin{matrix} n\\ k\end{matrix} \right)^ 2 \left( \begin{matrix} n+k\\ k\end{matrix} \right)\) and \(u_ n=\sum^{n}_{0}\left( \begin{matrix} n\\ k\end{matrix} \right)^ 2 \left( \begin{matrix} n+k\\ k\end{matrix} \right)^ 2\) in his irrationality proofs for \(\zeta\) (2), \(\zeta\) (3). Generalizing previous results, it is shown that for any prime p and any m,r\(\in {\mathbb{N}}\) one has \(a_{mp^ r-1}\equiv a_{mp^{r-1}-1}\quad (mod p^{3r}).\) The same congruences hold for \(u_ n\). The proofs are tedious but straightforward.