No label defined (Q4941000)

The authors consider linear recurrences \[ x_{n+2}= ax_{n+1}+ bx_n \quad (a,b,n\in \mathbb{Z},\;n\geq 0). \] Let \(p> 3\) be a prime and \(S:= \sum_{1\leq k< r} \frac{v_n}{u_n}\), where \((u_n)\), \((v_n)\) are the basis solutions of the recurrence and \(r\) is the smallest \(n> 0\) such that \(p|u_n\). Then \(S\equiv 0\pmod p\). Further if \(D:= a^2+ 4b= 0\) or \(D\neq 0\) and \(r= p\pm 1\), then \(S\equiv 0 \pmod {p^2}\). This generalizes Wolstenholme's theorem, that the numerator of the fraction \(\frac 11+ \frac 12+\cdots+ \frac{1}{p-1}\) is divisible by \(p^2\), if \(p>3\). The proof is elementary. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0930.00038].