Transcendence of binomial and Lucas' formal power series (Q1279926)

The authors consider the series \(G(X) = \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} u(n)X^n\), where \(\bigl(u(n)\bigr)_{n\geq 0}\in\mathbb Q^N\) has the \(p\)--Lucas property, i.e. the denominators of \(u(n)\) are not divisible by \(p\) and \[ \forall n\geq 0, \forall i,j\in[0,p-1], \qquad u(pn+j) = u(n)u(j) \pmod p. \] They prove that if the sequence \(u(n)\) has the \(p\)--Lucas property for all large \(p\), then \(G(X)\) is transcendental if and only if the sequence \((u(n)\), is neither equal to the sequence \(\bigl(\alpha^n{2n \choose n}\bigr)_{n\geq 0}\) for some rational \(\alpha\), nor to the sequence \(\bigl(\gamma^nP_n(\lambda)\bigr)_{n\geq 0}\), where \(P_n\) is the Legendre polynomial, \(\gamma^2\in\mathbb Q\) and \(\lambda\gamma\in\mathbb Q\). Given \(s\) an even integer \(\geq 2\) and a formal power series \(F(X)\) over \(\mathbb Q\), necessary and sufficient conditions for \(F(X)\) to have the \(p\)-Lucas property for all large primes \(p\equiv 1 \pmod \) and to be algebraic over \(\mathbb Q(X)\) are established. This criterion is deduced from a detailed study of sequences and power series with Lucas' property. Among other applications we mention the transcendence of the formal power series having the Apéry numbers as coefficients [cf. \textit{I. Gessel}, J. Number Theory 14, 362-368 (1982; Zbl 0482.10003)] and of a series derived from the Bessel function \(J_0(z)\) of index \(0\).