Supercongruences for rigid hypergeometric Calabi-Yau threefolds (Q2054243)

According to [\textit{F. Rodriguez-Villegas}, Fields Inst. Commun. 38, 223--231 (2003; Zbl 1062.11038)], there exist \(14\) hypergeometric one-parameter families of Calabi-Yau-threefolds \(V_\mathbf \alpha(\psi)\), uniquely identified by the multiset \(\mathbf \alpha = \{r_1,r_2\}\), with \(r_1,r_2 \in \{\frac 12, \frac 13, \frac 14, \frac 16\}\) or \((r_1,r_2) \in \{(\frac 15, \frac 25), (\frac 18, \frac 38), (\frac 1{10}, \frac 3{10}), (\frac1{12} \frac 5{12})\}\), the most prominent example being the quintic threefold for \(\mathbf \alpha = \{\frac 15, \frac 25\}\). For each \(\alpha\), there exists a mirror one-parameter family \(\hat{\mathcal V}_{\mathbf \alpha}(\lambda)\), which satisfies \(h^{2,1}(\hat{\mathcal V}_{\mathbf \alpha}(\lambda)) = 1\) for generic \(\lambda\). For \(\lambda = 1\), the Calabi-Yau threefold \(\overline {\hat{\mathcal V}_{\mathbf \alpha}(1)}\) obtained after resolving singularities is rigid, i.e. its \(h^{2,1}\) is equal to \(0\). By work of Schoen [\textit{C. Schoen}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 364, 85--111 (1986; Zbl 0568.14022)], one can associate to \(\hat{\mathcal V}_{\mathbf \alpha}(1)\) a unique modular form \(f_{\mathbf \alpha}(\tau) = \sum_{n = 1}^\infty a_n q^n\) of weight~\(4\) with \(a_1 = 1\). In the present paper, the word supercongruence means congruence modulo some power \(p^s\). The main result is the proof of the following supercongruences (conjectured by Rodriguez-Villegas) for \(p > 5\) and all multisets \(\alpha = \{r_1,r_2\}\) previously mentioned: \[ \sum_{k=0}^{p-1} \frac {(r_1)_k (1-r_1)_k (r_2)_k (1-r_2)_k}{k!^4} \equiv a_p \mod p^3. \] The left-hand side is a truncated hypergeometric series, where \((r)_k = r(r+1)\cdots(r+k-1)\). The right-hand side is the \(p\)-th Fourier coefficient of \(f_{\mathbf \alpha}\). The authors employ two methods, one based on Dwork's theory of \(p\)-adic unit roots [\textit{B. Dwork}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 37, 27--115 (1969; Zbl 0284.14008)], and the other on the theory of hypergeometric motives.