We prove that, for any small $\varepsilon > 0$, the number of irrationals among the following odd zeta values: $\zeta (3),\zeta (5),\zeta (7),\ldots ,\zeta (s)$ is at least $( c_0 - \varepsilon )({s^{1/2}}/{(\log s)^{1/2}})$, provided $s$ is a sufficiently large odd integer with respect to $\varepsilon$. The constant $c_0 = 1.192507\ldots$ can be expressed in closed form. Our work improves the lower bound $2^{(1-\varepsilon )({\log s}/{\log \log s})}$ of the previous work of Fischler, Sprang and Zudilin. We follow the same strategy of Fischler, Sprang and Zudilin. The main new ingredient is an asymptotically optimal design for the zeros of the auxiliary rational functions, which relates to the inverse totient problem.

Building upon ideas of the second and third authors, we prove that at least $2^{(1-\unicode[STIX]{x1D700})(\log s)/(\text{log}\log s)}$ values of the Riemann zeta function at odd integers between 3 and $s$ are irrational, where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}$ is any positive real number and $s$ is large enough in terms of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}$. This lower bound is asymptotically larger than any power of $\log s$; it improves on the bound $(1-\unicode[STIX]{x1D700})(\log s)/(1+\log 2)$ that follows from the Ball–Rivoal theorem. The proof is based on construction of several linear forms in odd zeta values with related coefficients.

We consider an extension of the Ramanujan series with a variable $x$. If we let $x=x_{0}$, we call the resulting series ‘Ramanujan series with the shift $x_{0}$’. Then we relate these shifted series to some $q$-series and solve the case of level $4$ with the shift $x_{0}=1/2$. Finally, we indicate a possible way towards proving some patterns observed by the author corresponding to the levels $\ell =1,2,3$ and the shift $x_{0}=1/2$.

Rodriguez-Villegas conjectured four supercongruences associated to certain elliptic curves, which were first confirmed by Mortenson by using the Gross–Koblitz formula. In this paper we prove four supercongruences between two truncated hypergeometric series $_{2}F_{1}$. The results generalise the four Rodriguez-Villegas supercongruences.

We express the number of points on the Dwork hypersurface $X_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}^{d}:x_{1}^{d}+x_{2}^{d}+\cdots +x_{d}^{d}=d\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}x_{1}x_{2}\cdots x_{d}$ over a finite field of order $q\not \equiv 1\,(\text{mod}\,d)$ in terms of McCarthy’s $p$-adic hypergeometric function for any odd prime $d$.

We study the Mahler measures of certain families of Laurent polynomials in two and three variables. Each of the known Mahler measure formulas for these families involves $L$–values of at most one newform and/or at most one quadratic character. In this paper we show, either rigorously or numerically, that the Mahler measures of some polynomials are related to $L$–values of multiple newforms and quadratic characters simultaneously. The results suggest that the number of modular $L$–values appearing in the formulas significantly depends on the shape of the algebraic value of the parameter chosen for each polynomial. As a consequence, we also obtain new formulas relating special values of hypergeometric series evaluated at algebraic numbers to special values of $L$–functions.

We prove that there is a correspondence between Ramanujan-type formulas for $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}1/\pi $ and formulas for Dirichlet $L$-values. Our method also allows us to reduce certain values of the Epstein zeta function to rapidly converging hypergeometric functions. The Epstein zeta functions were previously studied by Glasser and Zucker.

In this paper we study the distribution of the location, at time t, of a particle moving U time units upwards, V time units downwards, and W time units of no movement (idle). These are repeated cyclically, according to independent alternating renewals. The distributions of U, V, and W are absolutely continuous. The velocities are v = +1 upwards, v = -1 downwards, and v = 0 during idle periods. Let Y+(t), Y−(t), and Y0(t) denote the total time in (0, t) of movements upwards, downwards, and no movements, respectively. The exact distribution of Y+(t) is derived. We also obtain the probability law of X(t) = Y+(t) - Y−(t), which describes the particle's location at time t. Explicit formulae are derived for the cases of exponential distributions with equal rates, with different rates, and with linear rates (leading to damped processes).

We prove the conjectural relations between Mahler measures and L-values of elliptic curves of conductors 20 and 24. We also present new hypergeometric expressions for L-values of elliptic curves of conductors 27 and 36. Furthermore, we prove a new functional equation for the Mahler measure of the polynomial family (1+X) (1+Y )(X+Y )−αXY, α∈ℝ.