A Proof of Bala's Congruence Conjecture for A028342

Abstract

Let $a(n)$ be the sequence A028342 in the On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (OEIS), defined by the exponential generating function $\sum_{n\ge0} a(n)x^n/n! = \prod_{i\ge1}(1-x^i)^{-1/i}$. Equivalently, $a(n)$ counts permutations of an $n$-element labeled set in which every cycle is assigned one divisor of its length, where a cycle of length $m$ has $d(m)$ choices, $d(m)$ being the number of positive divisors of $m$. We prove a family of congruences for $a$, conjectured by Peter Bala. They state that $k \mid a(n+k)+a(n)$ for odd $k$, that $k \mid a(n+k)-a(n)$ for $k\equiv 0,2,6 \pmod 8$, and that $k \mid 2(a(n+k)-a(n))$ for $k\equiv 4\pmod 8$. The proof first establishes a product congruence $a(n+k)\equiv a(n)a(k)\pmod k$, and then computes $a(p^r)\bmod p^r$ for each prime power by counting the colored permutations fixed by a subgroup of order $p$.