Problem

Source: ELMO Shortlist 2013: Problem N8, by Victor Wang

Tags: counting, distinguishability, modular arithmetic, algebra, polynomial, function, number theory unsolved



We define the Fibonacci sequence $\{F_n\}_{n\ge0}$ by $F_0=0$, $F_1=1$, and for $n\ge2$, $F_n=F_{n-1}+F_{n-2}$; we define the Stirling number of the second kind $S(n,k)$ as the number of ways to partition a set of $n\ge1$ distinguishable elements into $k\ge1$ indistinguishable nonempty subsets. For every positive integer $n$, let $t_n = \sum_{k=1}^{n} S(n,k) F_k$. Let $p\ge7$ be a prime. Prove that \[ t_{n+p^{2p}-1} \equiv t_n \pmod{p} \] for all $n\ge1$. Proposed by Victor Wang