On the number of residues of linear recurrences (Q2065753)

An integer sequence \(\mathbf{s}=(s_{n})_{n\geq0}\) is\ called a linear recurrence relation if there are integers \(c_{1},...,c_{r}\in\mathbb{Z}\) such that for every integer \(n\geq r\), we have \[ s_{n}=c_{1}s_{n-1}+c_{2}s_{n-2}+...+c_{r}s_{n-r}. \] The \(r\) values \(s_{0},...,s_{r-1}\) are called the \textit{initial conditions} of the integer sequence \(\mathbf{s}\), and \[ g(X)=X^{r}-c_{1}X^{r-1}-c_{2}X^{r-2}-...-c_{r} \] is called the \textit{characteristic polynomial} of \(\mathbf{s}\). Let \(g\in\mathbb{Z}[X]\) be any nonconstant monic polynomial. Also, let \(\mathfrak{M}(g)\) be the set of positive integers \(m\) such that there exists an integer linear recurrence relation \((s_{n})_{n\geq0}\) with characteristic polynomial \(g\) and a positive integer \(M\) for which \((s_{n})_{n\geq0}\) has exactly \(m\) distinct residues modulo \(M\). \textit{A. Dubickas} and \textit{A. Novikas} [J. Number Theory 215, 120--137 (2020; Zbl 1473.11039)] have shown that \(\mathfrak{M}(X^{2}-X-1)=\mathbb{N}\). The author of the paper under review examines \(\mathfrak{M}(g)\) in the case in which \(g\) is divisible by a monic quadratic polynomial \(f\in\mathbb{Z}[X]\) with roots \(\alpha,\beta\) such that \(\alpha\beta=\pm1\) and \(\alpha/\beta\) is not a root of unity. Also, the author demonstrates that this problem is pertained to the existence of special primitive divisors of certain Lehmer sequences.