The Rogers-Ramanujan-Gordon Theorem for Overpartitions

Abstract

Let $B_{k,i}(n)$ be the number of partitions of $n$ with certain difference condition and let $A_{k,i}(n)$ be the number of partitions of $n$ with certain congruence condition. The Rogers-Ramanujan-Gordon theorem states that $B_{k,i}(n)=A_{k,i}(n)$. Lovejoy obtained an overpartition analogue of the Rogers-Ramanujan-Gordon theorem for the cases $i=1$ and $i=k$. We find an overpartition analogue of the Rogers-Ramanujan-Gordon theorem in the general case. Let $D_{k,i}(n)$ be the number of overpartitions of $n$ satisfying certain difference condition and $C_{k,i}(n)$ be the number of overpartitions of $n$ whose non-overlined parts satisfy certain congruences condition. We show that $C_{k,i}(n)=D_{k,i}(n)$. By using a function introduced by Andrews, we obtain a recurrence relation which implies that the generating function of $D_{k,i}(n)$ equals the generating function of $C_{k,i}(n)$. We also find a generating function formula of $D_{k,i}(n)$ by using Gordon marking representations of overpartitions, which can be considered as an overpartition analogue of an identity of Andrews for ordinary partitions.