New congruences for broken \(k\)-diamond and \(k\) dots bracelet partitions (Q2090538)

\textit{G. E. Andrews} and \textit{P. Paule} [Acta Arith. 126, No. 3, 281--294 (2007; Zbl 1110.05010)] introduced the notion of broken \(k\)-diamond partitions. The generating function for \(\Delta_k(n)\), the number of broken \(k\)-diamond partitions of \(n\), is given by \[ \sum_{n=0}^\infty \Delta_k(n)\,q^n = \prod_{n=1}^\infty \frac{(1-q^{2n})(1-q^{(2k+1)n})}{(1-q^n)^3 (1-q^{(4k+2)n})}, \] where \(q=e^{2\pi i z}\). \textit{C.-S. Radu} and \textit{J. A. Sellers} [J. Comb. Number Theory 4, No. 3, 195--200 (2012; Zbl 1288.11096)] focused on \(\Delta_3(n)\) and established relationships modulo \(2\) between the generating functions of \(\Delta_3(n)\) and certain \(\eta\)-products. They conjectured that, for all \(\alpha \geqslant 1\), \(n \geqslant 0\), \[ \Delta_3(\lambda_{\alpha})\Delta_3(2^{\alpha+2}n+\lambda_{\alpha+2}) \equiv \Delta_3(\lambda_{\alpha+2})\Delta_3(2^{\alpha}n+\lambda_{\alpha}) \pmod 2^\alpha, \] where \(\lambda_{\alpha}=(2^\alpha+1)/3\) if \(\alpha\) is odd and \(\lambda_{\alpha}=(2^{\alpha+1}+1)/3\) if \(\alpha\) is even. Radu and Sellers proved that this conjecture is true for \(\alpha= 1\). In this paper, using the theory of modular forms, the authors give a new proof of this conjecture for \(\alpha= 1\). In this context, they deduce some new infinite families of congruences modulo \(2\) for \(\Delta_3(n)\), several new congruences modulo \(4\) for \(\Delta_3(n)\) and a new Ramanujan type congruence for \(\Delta_2(n)\) modulo \(2\).