On the mod \(p^2\) determination of \(\binom{(p-1)/2}{(p-1)/4}\) (Q1078220)

Let \(p\) be a prime with \(p\equiv 1\pmod 4\) and \(p=a^2+b^2\), \(a\equiv 1\pmod 4\). Then the authors prove \[ \binom{(p-1)/2}{(p-1)/4}\equiv \left(1+\frac{2^{p-1}-1}{2}\right)\left(2a-\frac{p}{2a}\right)\pmod {p^2}. \] This is a generalisation of a congruence of Gauss conjectured by the reviewer. The proof consists of a clever use of the \(p\)-adic \(\Gamma\)-function. A shorter way of stating the congruence would be \[ \binom{-1/2}{(p-1)/2}\equiv a+bi\pmod {p^2}. \]