Congruences arising from Apéry-type series for zeta values (Q1761470)

Let \(p\) be a prime, and let \(\zeta(s)=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}1/n^s\) \((\text{Re}\, s>1)\) be the Riemann zeta-function. For positive integers \(k\) and \(a\) let \(H_k(a)=\sum_{j=1}^{k}1/j^a\) be the generalized harmonic number. Recently, \textit{R. Tauraso} [J. Number Theory 130, No. 12, 2639--2649 (2010; Zbl 1208.11027)] established finite \(p\)-analogues (congruences modulo \(p^3\)) of Apéry's famous series \(\zeta(2):=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}1/n^2\) and \(\zeta(3):=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}1/n^3\). Motivated by this and the known similar Apéry type series for \(\zeta(4):=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}1/n^4\), in this paper the authors proved (Theorem 1) that for any prime \(p>3\) \[ 4\sum_{k=1}^{p-1}\frac{1}{k^4{2k\choose k}}- 3\sum_{k=1}^{p-1}\frac{H_{k-1}(2)}{k^2{2k\choose k}} \equiv \frac{3}{p^3}H_{p-1}(1)-\frac{6}{5}pB_{p-5}\pmod{p^2}, \] where \(B_{p-5}\) is the \((p-5)\)th Bernoulli number. Furthermore, it is proved (Theorem 2) that for any prime \(p>3\) \[ \sum_{k=1}^{p-1}\frac{1}{k^4{2k\choose k}}\equiv\frac{H_{p-1}(1)}{p^3}\pmod{p}, \] \[ \sum_{k=1}^{p-1}\frac{{2k\choose k}}{k^3}\equiv -\frac{2H_{p-1}(1)}{p^2} \pmod{p}. \] Notice that the above two congruences are in fact the reduced congruences modulo \(p\) of congruences conjectured by \textit{Z.-W. Sun} [Sci. China, Math. 54, No. 12, 2509--2535 (2011; Zbl 1256.11011)] modulo \(p^2\) and \(p^4\), respectively. Furthermore, motivated by the known similar Apéry alternating type series for \(\zeta(5):=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}1/n^5\), the authors proved (Theorems 3 and 4) its two \(p\)-analogues (congruences modulo \(p\) and \(p^2\)) involving the sum \(\sum_{k=1}^{p-1}(-1)^{k-1}\left(k^5{2k\choose k}\right)^{-1}\). The second of these congruences gives a finite \(p\)-analogue of an alternating binomial sum that was evaluated explicitly by \textit{J. M. Borwein} et al., [Exp. Math. 10, No.1, 25--34 (2001; Zbl 0998.11045)]. Finally, in the paper it is proved (Theorem 5) the \(p\)-analogue (congruence modulo \(p^3\)) of Zeilberger's series \(\zeta(2)=\sum_{k=1}^{\infty}(21k-8)\left(k^3{2k\choose k}^3\right)^{-1}\). Proofs of the mentioned results are based on certain combinatorial identities and congruences modulo prime powers involving multiple harmonic sums, and on some summation formulae related to certain WZ pair of functions.