Vanishing properties of Fourier coefficients of holomorphic \(\eta\)-quotients (Q6908368)

In the paper under review, the authors investigate the vanishing properties of Fourier coefficients for a class of holomorphic functions arising from \(\eta\)-quotients. Specifically, for \(m \in \mathbb{N}\) and \(\delta_j \in \mathbb{Z}\) (\(1 \leq j \leq m\)), they consider the \(q\)-series expansion:\N\[\N\sum_{n \geq 0} C_{1^{\delta_1} 2^{\delta_2} \cdots m^{\delta_m}}(n) q^n := \prod_{j=1}^m (q^j; q^j)_{\infty}^{\delta_j},\N\]\Nwhere \((a; q)_{\infty} := \prod_{k=0}^{\infty} (1 - aq^k)\) denotes the \(q\)-Pochhammer symbol. The central object of study is the \textbf{vanishing set} associated with these coefficients:\N\[\N\mathcal{S}_{1^{\delta_1} 2^{\delta_2} \cdots m^{\delta_m}} := \{n \in \mathbb{N} : C_{1^{\delta_1} 2^{\delta_2} \cdots m^{\delta_m}}(n) = 0\}.\N\]\NBy choosing \(\delta_j\) judiciously, the product defines an \(\eta\)-quotient \(\prod_{j=1}^m \eta(jz)^{\delta_j}\), which relates to the series by a factor of \(q^{\frac{1}{24} \sum j \delta_j}\). The authors leverage the modularity of these quotients (detailed in Lemma 2.9) as a first step to provide explicit characterizations of these sets.\N\NThe paper situates these results within a deep historical context. For example:\N\begin{itemize}\N\item \(\mathcal{S}_{1^{24}} = \emptyset\) is the celebrated conjecture of \textit{D. H. Lehmer} [Duke Math. J. 14, 429--433 (1947; Zbl 0029.34502)].\N\item \(\mathcal{S}_{1^{-8} 2^{20} 4^{-8}} = \emptyset\) is equivalent to Lagrange's four-square theorem via the \(\theta\)-function identity:\N\[\N\sum_{n \in \mathbb{Z}} q^{n^2} = \frac{(q^2; q^2)^5_{\infty}}{(q; q)^2_{\infty} (q^4; q^4)^2_{\infty}}.\N\]\N\item More recent results include:\N\[\N\mathcal{S}_{1^8} = \mathcal{S}_{1^{-1} 3^3} = \{n \in \mathbb{N} : \text{ exists} p \equiv 2 ~(\text{mod }3), \text{ ord}_p(3n+1) \text{ is odd} \}.\N\]\Nand\N\[\N\mathcal{S}_{1^8}=\mathcal{S}_{1^23^2}.\N\]\NSee [\textit{G.-N. Han} and \textit{K. Ono}, Ann. Comb. 15, No. 2, 305--312 (2011; Zbl 1233.05030); \textit{A. Clemm}, Mathematics 2, No. 4, 232--239 (2014; Zbl 1305.05015)], respectively.\N\end{itemize}\N\NMain results. The authors provide explicit descriptions for several previously uncharacterized vanishing sets:\N\NTheorem 1.1. One has:\N\[\N\mathcal{S}_{1^{-1} 3^3 4^2} = \mathcal{S}_{1^4 2^{-2} 4^4} = \{n \in \mathbb{N} : \text{ exists} p \equiv 3 ~(\text{mod }4), \text{ ord}_p(3n+2) \text{ is odd} \}.\N\]\NTheorem 1.2. One has:\N\begin{align*}\N\mathcal{S}_{1^1 2^{-2} 4^3} &= \mathcal{S}_{1^1 2^2 4^1} = \mathcal{S}_{1^3 2^{-1} 4^2} = \mathcal{S}_{1^3 2^3} = \mathcal{S}_{1^7 2^{-3} 4^2} \\\N&= \{n \in \mathbb{N} : \text{ exists} p \equiv 5, 7 ~(\text{mod }8), \text{ ord}_p(8n+3) \text{ is odd} \}.\N\end{align*}\NTheorem 1.3. One has:\N\begin{align*}\N\mathcal{S}_{1^{-1} 2^{10} 3^{-1} 4^{-4}} &= \mathcal{S}_{1^7 2^{-2} 3^{-1}} \\\N&= \{n \in \mathbb{N} : n \equiv 2 ~(\text{mod }3) \text{ and } \text{ exists} p \equiv 3 ~(\text{mod }4), \text{ ord}_p(n) \text{ is odd} \}.\N\end{align*}\NTheorem 1.4. One has:\N\[\N\mathcal{S}_{1^2 2^3 4^{-2}} = \mathcal{S}_{1^6 2^{-3}} = \{n \in \mathbb{N} : n = 4^k(8m+7), k, m \in \mathbb{N}_0 \}.\N\]\NMethodology. The proofs rely on the manipulation of modular forms by relating \(\eta\)-quotients to modular forms that are expressible as suitable \(\theta\)-series. It is shown that:\N\begin{itemize}\N\item[1.] Theorems 1.1 and 1.2 are related to norms in the rings of integers \(\mathbb{Z}[i]\) and \(\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{-2}]\), respectively.\N\item[2.] Theorem 1.4 is related to half-integral weight modular forms and sums of three squares.\N\item[3.] Theorem 1.3 requires decomposing the forms into sums of newforms and Eisenstein series, necessitating ad-hoc analysis and computer verification.\N\end{itemize}