A minimal excludant over overpartitions (Q6597282)

The paper introduces the concept of the minimal excludant for overpartitions, \( \overline{\text{mex}}(\pi) \), defined as the smallest positive integer not appearing among the non-overlined parts of an overpartition \( \pi \). The authors focus on the sum of these minimal excludants over all overpartitions of a positive integer \( n \), denoted \( \sigma{\overline{\text{mex}}}(\pi) \), and prove that it equals the number of partitions of \( n \) into distinct parts using three colors. This result is both novel and meaningful, linking minimal excludants to colored partition theory. An asymptotic formula for \( \sigma{\overline{\text{mex}}}(\pi) \) is provided, and it is shown that this function is almost always even, except when \( n \) is a triangular number.\N\NThe authors further generalize this concept to the least \( r \)-gaps, \( \overline{\text{mex}}_r(\pi) \), which represent the smallest non-overlined parts appearing less than \( r \) times. The paper explores the sum \( \sigma_r{\overline{\text{mex}}}(\pi) \) of these \( r \)-gaps over all overpartitions of \( n \), deriving both generating functions and asymptotic formulas. Additionally, the arithmetic density of \( \sigma_r{\overline{\text{mex}}}(\pi) \) modulo \( 2^k \) is analyzed for \( r = 2^m \cdot 3^n \).\N\NOverall, the paper is well-organized, mathematically rigorous, and presents important new results that advance the understanding of partition theory.