Nontrivial lower bounds for the $p$-adic valuations of some type of rational numbers

Abstract

In this paper, we will show that the $p$-adic valuation (where $p$ is a given prime number) of some type of rational numbers is unusually large. This generalizes the very recent results by the author and by A. Dubickas, which are both related to the special case $p = 2$. The crucial point for obtaining our main result is the fact that the $p$-adic valuation of the rational numbers in question is unbounded from above. We will confirm this fact by three different methods; the first two are elementary while the third one leans on the $p$-adic analysis.