Proof of the Andrews-El Bachraoui positivity conjecture

Abstract

We prove that for $k\ge 1$, all coefficients in the expansion of the series $$\sum_{n\ge 0} \frac{(q^{2n+2}, q^{2n+2k}; q^2)_\infty}{(q^{2n+1};q^2)_\infty^2} q^{2n}$$ are positive, by $q$-hypergeometric means. This confirms a recent conjecture of Andrews and El Bachraoui.