A note on \(n!\) modulo \(p\) (Q504108)

Let \(p\) be a prime. For integers \(L\) and \(N\) with \(0< L+1< L+N<p\) let \[ {\mathcal A}(L,N)=\{n! \text{ (mod \(p\))}: L+1 \leq n \leq L+N \}. \] The authors prove the following theorems: Theorem 1. For any \(\varepsilon >0\) and \(p^{1/2+\varepsilon}<N<p\) one has \[ \left| \left\{\frac{a_1}{a_2}: a_1,a_2\in {\mathcal A}(L,N) \right\}\right| > c_0 N \log (p/N) \] for some \(c_0=c_0(\varepsilon)>0\). Theorem 2. Any integer \(\lambda \not\equiv 0\pmod p\) can be represented as \[ \lambda \equiv \prod_{i=1}^7 n_i! \pmod p, \] where \(n_i\) \((1\leq i\leq 7)\) satisfy \[ \max \{n_i: 1\leq i\leq 7\} \ll p^{11/12}(\log p)^{-1/2}. \] Here Theorem 2 refines an earlier result of \textit{M. Z. Garaev} et al. [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 356, No. 12, 5089--5102 (2004; Zbl 1060.11046)].