Congruences for the coefficients within a generalized factorial polynomial. (Q1414953)

For positive integers \(n\) and \(k\) the Stirling number of the first kind \(s(n,k)\) is the coefficient of \(x^k\) from the expansion of the rising factorial polynomial \(x(x+1)\dots (x+n-1)\). In this paper, the author generalizes a result of \textit{F. T. Howard} [Acta Arith. 55, 29--41 (1990; Zbl 0648.10008)], regarding congruences modulo a prime number \(p\) for numbers of the form \(s(p,k),~s(p-1,k),~s(p-2,k)\) and \(s(ph+m,k)\) with \(0\leq m\leq p-1\) to the instance in which \(s(n,k)\) is replaced by \(\phi(n,k)\), the coefficient of \(x^k\) in \((x+a_1)(x+a_2)\dots (x+a_{n})\), where \((a_j)_{j\geq 1}\) is an arithmetical progression of integers of first term \(a_1\) and nonzero difference \(d\). For example (Theorem 1.1), \(\phi(p,k)\equiv 0\pmod p\) holds for all \(k\in \{2,\dots,p-1\}\). As a byproduct of his results, the author determines all values of \(\phi(n,k)\) modulo \(p\) when \(p\in \{2,3,5\}\). There is also a result dealing with congruences for generalized associated Stirling numbers of the first kind, for the definition of which we refer the reader to the paper itself. The proofs are elementary but clever and use only induction and Wilson's theorem.