Polynomial reduction for holonomic sequences and applications in \(\pi\)-series and congruences (Q6170337)

A polynomial reduction method for univariate holonomic sequences is presented, which can be used to derive new summation identities from existing ones. The core question in this context is to characterize polynomials that turn a given holonomic sequence into a Gosper-summable one. The proposed method is based on van der Hoeven's difference version of the Lagrange identity. Let \[ L = \sum_{i=0}^J a_i(n) \sigma^i \] be a linear recurrence operator (\(\sigma\) denoting the forward shift operator) and let \(p(n)\) be an arbitrary polynomial, then the identity reads: \[ p(n) L(F(n)) - L^\ast(p(n)) F(n) = (\sigma-1)\biggl(\sum_{i=0}^{J-1} u_i(n) F(n+i)\biggr), \] where \(L^\ast\) is the adjoint of~\(L\), and where the \(u_i\) on the right-hand side are defined as follows: \[ u_i(n) = \sum_{j=1}^{J-i} a_{i+j}(n-j) p(n-j). \] Now assume that \(F(n)\) is a univariate holonomic sequence, i.e., a sequence that is annihilated by a linear operator~\(L\) as above with polynomial coefficients~\(a_i\). Then, by utilizing \(L(F(n))=0\) and by summing over both sides, one obtains \[ \sum_{k=0}^{n-1} L^\ast(p(k)) F(k) = \biggl(\sum_{i=0}^{J-1} u_i(0) F(i)\biggr) - \biggl(\sum_{i=0}^{J-1} u_i(n) F(n+i)\biggr), \] i.e., a closed form of the sum on the left-hand side in terms of the sequence~\(F(n)\). The authors demonstrate the usefulness of this method by applying it to sums where the sequence \(F(n)\) is the Franel numbers or the central Delannoy numbers, thereby being able to prove some conjectured congruence identities. In another set of examples, the Domb numbers are taken for the sequence~\(F(n)\); here the limit \(n\to\infty\) reveals some new series for~\(\pi\).