New modular properties of Bell numbers (Q1177954)

The Bell number \(B_n\) is the number of partitions of a finite set whose cardinality is \(n\). The modular properties of Bell numbers have been studied, and it is well known that the sequence of the residues of Bell numbers modulo any integer satisfies a linear recurrence and is periodic. J. Touchard showed the congruence \(B_{n+p} \equiv B_n+ B_{n+1} \pmod p\) where \(p\) is any prime number. The sequence of residues of \(B_n\) modulo \(p\) is periodic and its period divides \(T= (p^p -1)/ (p-1 )\). C. Radoux conjectured that \(T\) is the minimal period of this sequence for any prime \(p\). He showed that if the period of the residues is equal to \(T\) for a given prime \(p\), then there exists a number \(c\), depending on \(p\), such that \(B_{c+q} \equiv 0\pmod p\) for \(1\leq q< p\). However, he did not give any general value for \(c\). Radoux's conjecture has been verified for all primes \(p\) less than or equal to 17 but, to our knowledge, it has not been proven in the general case. Here it is shown, without assuming any unproven results: Given a prime \(p\), we exhibit an integer \(c\) such that the Bell numbers \(B_{c+1}, B_{c+2}, \dots, B_{c+p-1}\) are divisible by \(p\). We calculate the residue of \(B_c\) modulo \(p\).