arXiv subjects

Amanda Folsom

Publications and source records attributed to Amanda Folsom.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Antiquantum $q$-series identities and mock theta functions

Ramanujan's original definition of mock theta functions from 1920 involves their asymptotic behaviors at roots of unity on the boundary of the disk of convergence $|q|<1$. More recently this topic has been related by several authors, including the first author with Ono and Rhoades in 2013, to quantum modular forms, first defined in 2010 by Zagier. In 2021, Lovejoy defined and studied related quantum $q$-series identities, which do not hold as equalities between power series inside the disk $|q|<1$ but which do hold on dense subsets of roots of unity on the boundary. Inspired by this, in our prior joint work from 2024 we further studied quantum $q$-series identities as related to mock theta functions and quantum modular forms; we also defined and studied antiquantum $q$-series identities, between series which are equal inside the disk $|q|<1$ but which hold at dense sets of roots of unity on the boundary for which one of the series diverges and is unnaturally truncated. Here, building from our previous work, we establish antiquantum $q$-series identities for all of Ramanujan's third order mock theta functions. We deduce these results in part by establishing and applying more general identities which are also of independent interest, and by using the theory of modular eta-quotients.

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arXiv2024

Zeros of Hook Polynomials and Related Questions

We study the zero set of polynomials built from partition statistics, complementing earlier work in this direction by Boyer, Goh, Parry, and others. In particular, addressing a question of Males with two of the authors, we prove asymptotics for the values of $t$-hook polynomials away from an annulus and isolated zeros of a theta function. We also discuss some open problems and present data on other polynomial families, including those associated to deformations of Rogers-Ramanujan functions.

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arXiv2023

Equidistribution and partition polynomials

Using equidistribution criteria, we establish divisibility by cyclotomic polynomials of several partition polynomials of interest, including $spt$-crank, overpartition pairs, and $t$-core partitions. As corollaries, we obtain new proofs of various Ramanujan-type congruences for associated partition functions. Moreover, using results of Erdös and Turán, we establish the equidistribution of roots of partition polynomials on the unit circle including those for the rank, crank, $spt$, and unimodal sequences. Our results complement earlier work on this topic by Stanley, Boyer-Goh, and others. We explain how our methods may be used to establish similar results for other partition polynomials of interest, and offer many related open questions and examples.

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arXiv2023

Hook length biases and general linear partition inequalities

Motivated in part by hook-content formulas for certain restricted partitions in representation theory, we consider the total number of hooks of fixed length in odd versus distinct partitions. We show that there are more hooks of length $2$, respectively $3$, in all odd partitions of $n$ than in all distinct partitions of $n$, and make the analogous conjecture for arbitrary hook length $t \geq 2$. We also establish additional bias results on the number of gaps of size $1,$ respectively $2$, in all odd versus distinct partitions of $n$. We conjecture similar biases and asymptotics, as well as congruences for the number of hooks of fixed length in odd distinct partitions versus self-conjugate partitions. An integral component of the proof of our bias result for hooks of length $3$ is a linear inequality involving $q(n)$, the number of distinct partitions of $n$. In this article we also establish effective linear inequalities for $q(n)$ in great generality, a result which is of independent interest. Our methods are both analytic and combinatorial, and our results and conjectures intersect the areas of representation theory, analytic number theory, partition theory, and $q$-series. In particular, we use a Rademacher-type exact formula for $q(n),$ Wright's circle method, modularity, $q$-series transformations, asymptotic methods, and combinatorial arguments.

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arXiv2023

Oscillating asymptotics and conjectures of Andrews

In 1986, Andrews studied the function $\sigma(q)$ from Ramanujan's ``Lost" Notebook, and made several conjectures on its Fourier coefficients $S(n)$, which count certain partition ranks. In 1988, Andrews-Dyson-Hickerson famously resolved these conjectures, relating the coefficients $S(n)$ to the arithmetic of $\mathbb Q(\sqrt{6})$; this relationship was further expounded upon by Cohen in his work on Maass waveforms, and was more recently extended by Zwegers and by Li and Roehrig. A closer inspection of Andrews' original work on $\sigma(q)$ reveals additional related functions and conjectures, which we study in this paper. In particular, we study the function $v_1(q)$, also from Ramanujan's ``Lost" Notebook, a $q$-hypergeometric series with partition-theoretic Fourier coefficients $V_1(n)$, and prove two of Andrews' conjectures on $V_1(n)$ which are parallel to his original conjectures on $S(n)$. Our methods differ from those used by Andrews-Dyson-Hickerson, and require a blend of novel techniques inspired by Garoufalidis' and Zagier's recent work on asymptotics of Nahm sums, with classical techniques including the Circle Method in Analytic Number Theory; our methods may also be applied to determine the asymptotic behavior of similar $q$-hypergeometric series of interest which are not amenable to classical techniques. We also offer explanations of additional related conjectures of Andrews, ultimately connecting the asymptotics of $V_1(n)$ to the arithmetic of $\mathbb Q(\sqrt{-3})$.

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arXiv2023

Mock theta functions and related combinatorics

In this paper we add to the literature on the combinatorial nature of the mock theta functions, a collection of curious $q$-hypergeometric series introduced by Ramanujan in his last letter to Hardy in 1920, which we now know to be important examples of mock modular forms. Our work is inspired by Beck's conjecture, now a theorem of Andrews, related to Euler's identity: the excess of the number of parts in all partitions of $n$ into odd parts over the number of partitions of $n$ into distinct parts is equal to the number of partitions with only one (possibly repeated) even part and all other parts odd. We establish Beck-type identities associated to partition identities due to Andrews, Dixit, and Yee for the third order mock theta functions $ω(q), ν(q)$, and $ϕ(q)$. Our proofs are both analytic and combinatorial in nature, and involve mock theta generating functions and combinatorial bijections.

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arXiv2023

On the number of parts in all partitions enumerated by the Rogers-Ramanujan identities

The celebrated Rogers-Ramanujan identities equate the number of integer partitions of $n$ ($n\in\mathbb N_0$) with parts congruent to $\pm 1 \pmod{5}$ (respectively $\pm 2 \pmod{5}$) and the number of partitions of $n$ with super-distinct parts (respectively super-distinct parts greater than $1$). In this paper, we establish companion identities to the Rogers-Ramanujan identities on the number of parts in all partitions of $n$ of the aforementioned types, in the spirit of earlier work by Andrews and Beck on a partition identity of Euler.

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arXiv2022

On a Partition Identity of Lehmer

Euler's identity equates the number of partitions of any non-negative integer n into odd parts and the number of partitions of n into distinct parts. Beck conjectured and Andrews proved the following companion to Euler's identity: the excess of the number of parts in all partitions of n into odd parts over the number of parts in all partitions of n into distinct parts equals the number of partitions of n with exactly one even part (possibly repeated). Beck's original conjecture was followed by generalizations and so-called "Beck-type" companions to other identities. In this paper, we establish a collection of Beck-type companion identities to the following result mentioned by Lehmer at the 1974 International Congress of Mathematicians: the excess of the number of partitions of n with an even number of even parts over the number of partitions of n with an odd number of even parts equals the number of partitions of n into distinct, odd parts. We also establish various generalizations of Lehmer's identity, and prove related Beck-type companion identities. We use both analytic and combinatorial methods in our proofs.

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arXiv2019

Quantum modular forms and singular combinatorial series with repeated roots of unity

In 2007, G.E. Andrews introduced the $(n+1)$-variable combinatorial generating function $R_n(x_1,x_2,\cdots,x_n;q)$ for ranks of $n$-marked Durfee symbols, an $(n+1)$-dimensional multisum, as a vast generalization to the ordinary two-variable partition rank generating function. Since then, it has been a problem of interest to understand the automorphic properties of this function; in special cases and under suitable specializations of parameters, $R_n$ has been shown to possess modular, quasimodular, and mock modular properties when viewed as a function on the upper half complex plane $\mathbb H$, in work of Bringmann, Folsom, Garvan, Kimport, Mahlburg, and Ono. Quantum modular forms, defined by Zagier in 2010, are similar to modular or mock modular forms but are defined on the rationals $\mathbb Q$ as opposed to $\mathbb H$, and exhibit modular transformations there up to suitably analytic error functions in $\mathbb R$; in general, they have been related to diverse areas including number theory, topology, and representation theory. Here, we establish quantum modular properties of $R_n$.

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arXiv2018

Quantum modular forms and singular combinatorial series with distinct roots of unity

Understanding the relationship between mock modular forms and quantum modular forms is a problem of current interest. Both mock and quantum modular forms exhibit modular-like transformation properties under suitable subgroups of $\rm{SL}_2(\mathbb Z)$, up to nontrivial error terms; however, their domains (the upper half-plane $\mathbb H$, and the rationals $\mathbb Q$, respectively) are notably different. Quantum modular forms, originally defined by Zagier in 2010, have also been shown to be related to the diverse areas of colored Jones polynomials, meromorphic Jacobi forms, partial theta functions, vertex algebras, and more. In this paper we study the $(n+1)$-variable combinatorial rank generating function $R_n(x_1,x_2,\dots,x_n;q)$ for $n$-marked Durfee symbols. These are $n+1$ dimensional multisums for $n>1$, and specialize to the ordinary two-variable partition rank generating function when $n=1$. The mock modular properties of $R_n$ when viewed as a function of $τ\in\mathbb H$, with $q=e^{2πi τ}$, for various $n$ and fixed parameters $x_1, x_2, \cdots, x_n$, have been studied in a series of papers. Namely, by Bringmann and Ono when $n=1$ and $x_1$ a root of unity; by Bringmann when $n=2$ and $x_1=x_2=1$; by Bringmann, Garvan, and Mahlburg for $n\geq 2$ and $x_1=x_2=\dots=x_n=1$; and by the first and third authors for $n\geq 2$ and the $x_j$ suitable roots of unity ($1\leq j \leq n$). The quantum modular properties of $R_1$ readily follow from existing results. Here, we focus our attention on the case $n\geq 2$, and prove for any $n\geq 2$ that the combinatorial generating function $R_n$ is a quantum modular form when viewed as a function of $x \in \mathbb Q$, where $q=e^{2πi x}$, and the $x_j$ are suitable distinct roots of unity.

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arXiv2016

Asymptotic behavior of partial and false theta functions arising from Jacobi forms and regularized characters

We prove several asymptotic results for partial and false theta functions arising from Jacobi forms, as the modular variable $τ$ tends to $0$ along the imaginary axis, and the elliptic variable $z$ is unrestricted in the complex plane. We observe that these functions exhibit Stokes' phenomenon - the asymptotic behavior of these functions sharply differs depending on where the elliptic variable $z$ is located within the complex plane. We apply our results to study the asymptotic expansions of regularized characters and quantum dimensions of the $(1,p)$-singlet vertex operator algebra coming from conformal field theory. This, in particular, recovers and extends several known results pertaining to regularized quantum dimensions, which served as a main source of motivation.

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arXiv2016

Quantum mock modular forms arising from eta-theta functions

In 2013, Lemke Oliver classified all eta-quotients which are theta functions. In this paper, we unify the eta-theta functions by constructing mock modular forms from the eta-theta functions with even characters, such that the shadows of these mock modular forms are given by the eta-theta functions with odd characters. In addition, we prove that our mock modular forms are quantum modular forms. As corollaries, we establish simple finite hypergeometric expressions which may be used to evaluate Eichler integrals of the odd eta-theta functions, as well as some curious algebraic identities.

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arXiv2016

Zeros of modular forms of half integral weight

We study canonical bases for spaces of weakly holomorphic modular forms of level 4 and weights in $\mathbb{Z}+\frac{1}{2}$ and show that almost all modular forms in these bases have the property that many of their zeros in a fundamental domain for $Γ_0(4)$ lie on a lower boundary arc of the fundamental domain. Additionally, we show that at many places on this arc, the generating function for Hurwitz class numbers is equal to a particular mock modular Poincaré series, and show that for positive weights, a particular set of Fourier coefficients of cusp forms in this canonical basis cannot simultaneously vanish.

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arXiv2013

Almost harmonic Maass forms and Kac-Wakimoto characters

We resolve a question of Kac, and explain the automorphic properties of characters due to Kac-Wakimoto pertaining to sl(m|n)^ highest weight modules, for n \geq 1. We prove that the Kac-Wakimoto characters are essentially holomorphic parts of certain generalizations of harmonic weak Maass forms which we call "almost harmonic Maass forms". Using a new approach, this generalizes prior work of the first author and Ono, and the authors, both of which treat only the case n = 1. We also provide an explicit asymptotic expansion for the characters.

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arXiv2013

Quasimodular forms and sl(m|m)^ characters

In this paper, we establish automorphic properties and asymptotic behaviors of characters due to Kac-Wakimoto pertaining to $s\ell(m|n)^\wedge$ highest weight modules in the case $m=n$, extending work of the first author and Ono \cite{BOKac} and the first two authors \cite{BF} which pertains to the case $m>n$.

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arXiv2011

On a conjecture of Berndt and Kim

We prove a recent conjecture of Berndt and Kim regarding the positivity of the coefficients in the asymptotic expansion of a class of partial theta functions. This generalizes results found in Ramanujan's second notebook, and recent work of Galway and Stanley.

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arXiv2011

The probability that the number of points on the Jacobian of a genus 2 curve is prime

In 2000, Galbraith and McKee heuristically derived a formula that estimates the probability that a randomly chosen elliptic curve over a fixed finite prime field has a prime number of rational points. We show how their heuristics can be generalized to Jacobians of curves of higher genus. We then elaborate this in genus 2 and study various related issues, such as the probability of cyclicity and the probability of primality of the number of points on the curve itself. Finally, we discuss the asymptotic behavior as the genus tends to infinity.

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arXiv2011

Partial theta functions and mock modular forms as q-hypergeometric series

Ramanujan studied the analytic properties of many $q$-hypergeometric series. Of those, mock theta functions have been particularly intriguing, and by work of Zwegers, we now know how these curious $q$-series fit into the theory of automorphic forms. The analytic theory of partial theta functions however, which have $q$-expansions resembling modular theta functions, is not well understood. Here we consider families of $q$-hypergeometric series which converge in two disjoint domains. In one domain, we show that these series are often equal to one another, and define mock theta functions, including the classical mock theta functions of Ramanujan, as well as certain combinatorial generating functions, as special cases. In the other domain, we prove that these series are typically not equal to one another, but instead are related by partial theta functions.

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