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Ben Kane

Publications and source records attributed to Ben Kane.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Hurwitz class number relations and mock modular forms

A classical class number relation of Hurwitz expresses the Fourier coefficients of the product of a unary theta function and the class number generating function. Here, we establish an infinite family of analogous class number relations obtained by replacing the unary quadratic form $m^2$ by positive-definite binary quadratic forms. These identities involve Cohen's generalized class numbers and depend only on the genus of the underlying quadratic form. For this, we construct a genus-dependent level-lowering operator.

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arXiv2026

Negative bias in moments of the Legendre family of elliptic curves

We determine the bias in higher moments of the Legendre family of elliptic curves in view of the Negative Bias Conjecture of S. J. Miller. We show that every lower order term is either zero or negative on average for both even and odd moments, and explicitly compute the third and fourth moment. The results about Hurwitz class numbers in arithmetic progressions which we prove in the process may be useful for other applications.

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arXiv2026

A direct proof of Mono-Rolen-Stumpenhusen and new constructions via the Maass raising operators

In this paper, we give a direct conceptual proof of the main result of Mono, Rolen, and Stumpenhusen, using differential operators. More precisely, we realize their functions $\omega_{k+1,D}$ as images of the quadratic form Poincar\'e series $f_{k,D}$ under the Maass raising operator. This perspective gives a natural explanation for the modularity and Laplace eigenvalue prop erties of $\omega_{k+1,D}$. We further extend these results by investigating the images of more general local Maass forms under the Maass raising and lowering operators.

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arXiv2026

On periodic sign changes for weighted representations of integers as colored sums of triangular and generalized pentagonal numbers

In this paper, we study sign changes and vanishing for the number of representations of an integer as a sum of triangular numbers plus three-colored sums of generalized pentagonal numbers with an even number of parts minus those with an odd number of parts. We study this by investigating coefficients appearing in the $q$-series expansion of $F(z) = \frac{\eta(z)}{{\eta(2z)}^2 {\eta(3z)}^3}$, where $\eta$ is the Dedekind-eta function. We use the Hardy-Ramanujan-Rademacher circle method to give an asymptotic formula for the coefficients.

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arXiv2026

On $U_p$-congruences for meromorphic modular forms with supersingularity

In this paper, we investigate congruences for meromorphic modular forms $F$ which have a pole at a single point $z$ in the fundamental domain of $\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb Z)$. For a prime $p$ with good supersingular reduction at the elliptic curve corresponding to $z$, we show that there exists a cusp form $f$ such that $F|U_p^m \equiv f|U_p^m \pmod{p^{\kappa_m}}$, where $\kappa_m=\alpha m -\beta$ with $\alpha$ only depending on the weight of $F$ and $\beta$ depending on $F$ and $p$ but is independent of $m$. In particular, if the space of cusp forms is trivial, then $F|U_p^m\equiv 0 \pmod{p^{\kappa_m}}$ vanishes $p$-adically to a high order. In order to prove these results, we use the fact that $p$ has supersingular reduction to realize $F$ as an overconvergent modular form and then utilize the theory of overconvergent forms to show the congruences.

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arXiv2026

Universal sums of generalized polygonal numbers of almost prime length

In this paper, we consider universal sums of generalized polygonal numbers. Fixing $m\in\mathbb{N}_{\geq 3}$, we show two finiteness theorems for universal sums of generalized polygonal numbers whose inputs have a restricted number $L$ of prime divisors (counting multiplicity) away from an finite set of exceptional primes. In the first theorem, we fix $m$ and uniformly bound the finite check independent of $L\geq 900$, and in the second theorem, we give an optimal bound for the finiteness check if $L$ is larger than a constant times $\log(m)$.

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arXiv2025

Prime detecting quasi-modular forms in higher level

In a previous work, the authors resolved a conjecture about the structure of prime-detecting quasi-modular forms by studying sign changes occurring in quasi-modular cusp forms. In this paper, we extend the considerations to prime-detecting quasi-modular forms of higher level, in particular describing the structure of the space of quasi-modular forms that detect primes in various arithmetic progressions. We also provide an ``analytic'' proof of the level one case.

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arXiv2025

Strict Log-concavity of $k$-coloured Partitions

In recent years, there has been extensive work on inequalities among partition functions. In particular, Nicolas, and independently DeSalvo--Pak, proved that the partition function $p(n)$ is eventually log-concave. Inspired by this and other results, Chern--Fu--Tang first conjectured log-concavity of $k$-coloured partitions. Three of the authors and Tripp later proved this conjecture by introducing recursive sequences and a strict inequality for fractional partition functions, giving explicit errors. In this paper, we show that the log-concavity is, in fact, strict for $k\geq 2$. We shed further light on this phenomenon by utilizing Hardy--Littlewood--P\'olya's notion of majorizing. We prove that for partitions $\bm{a},\bm{b}$ of $n\in\N$, if $\bm b$ majorizes $\bm a$, then $p_k(\bm{b})>p_k(\bm{a})$. Numerical calculations indicate that our result is sharp.

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arXiv2025

Divisibility properties of weighted $k$ regular partitions

We study a generalized class of weighted $k$-regular partitions defined by \[ \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} c_{k, r_1, r_2}(n) q^n = \prod_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{(1 - q^{nk})^{r_1}}{(1 - q^n)^{r_2}}, \] which extends the classical $k$-regular partition function $b_k(n)$. We establish new infinite families of Ramanujan-type congruences, divisibility results, and positive-density prime sets for which $c_{k, r_1, r_2}(n)$ vanishes modulo a given prime.

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arXiv2025

On a conjecture about prime-detecting quasimodular forms

Motivated by weighted partition of $n$ that vanish if and only if $n$ is a prime, Craig, van Ittersum, and Ono conjecture a classification of quasimodular forms which detect primes in the sense that the $n$-th Fourier coefficient vanishes if and only if $n$ is a prime. In this paper, we prove this conjecture by showing that Fourier coefficients of quasimodular cusp forms exhibit infinitely many sign changes.

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arXiv2024

Vanishing properties of Fourier coefficients of holomorphic $\eta$-quotients

In this paper, we study vanishing of Fourier coefficients of holomorphic $\eta$-quotients. We investigate examples of two different types: the first one involves integral weight CM newforms, while the second one involves half-integral weight $\eta$-quotients associated with sums of squares and Hurwitz class numbers.

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arXiv2024

Sums of generalized polygonal numbers of almost prime "length"

In this paper, we consider sums of three generalized $m$-gonal numbers whose parameters are restricted to integers with a bounded number of prime divisors. With some restrictions on $m$ modulo $30$, we show that a density one set of integers is represented as such a sum, where the parameters are restricted to have at most 6361 prime factors. Moreover, if the squarefree part of $f_m(n)$ is sufficiently large, then $n$ is represented as such a sum, where $f_m(n)$ is a natural linear function in $n$.

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arXiv2024

On a sign-change conjecture of Schlosser and Zhou

In this paper, we investigate the signs changes of Fourier coefficients of infinite products of $q$-series of Rogers--Ramanujan type. In particular, we prove a conjecture made by Schlosser--Zhou pertaining to such sign changes for products of modulus $10$.

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arXiv2024

The bias conjecture for elliptic curves over finite fields and Hurwitz class numbers in arithmetic progressions

In this paper, we consider a version of the bias conjecture for second moments in the setting of elliptic curves over finite fields whose trace of Frobenius lies in an arbitrary fixed arithmetic progression. Contrary to the classical setting of reductions of one-parameter families over the rationals, where it is conjectured by Steven J. Miller that the bias is always negative, we prove that in our setting the bias is positive for a positive density of arithmetic progressions and negative for a positive density of arithmetic progressions. Along the way, we obtain explicit formulas for moments of traces of Frobenius of elliptic curves over finite fields in arithmetic progressions and related moments of Hurwitz class numbers in arithmetic progressions, the distribution of which are of independent interest.

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arXiv2023

The mass of shifted lattices and class numbers of inhomogeneous quadratic polynomials

In this paper, we investigate class numbers of shifted quadratic lattices $L+\frac{\boldsymbol{u}}{c}$ with $\boldsymbol{u}\in L$ and odd conductor $c\in \mathbb{N}$. For a lattice $L$ whose genus only contains one class, we determine a lower bound for the number of classes in the genus of $L+\frac{\boldsymbol{u}}{c}$ depending on $c$. As a result, we obtain an explicit bound $c_0$ such that any such shifted lattice with one class in its genus must have conductor smaller than $c_0$, restricting the possible choices of such $L+\frac{\boldsymbol{u}}{c}$ to a finite set.

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