A note on the congruence left( {_{mp^k }^{np^k } } right) equiv left( {_m^n } right) (mod p r )

In the paper we discuss the following type congruences: $$left( {_{mp^k }^{np^k } } right) equiv left( {_m^n } right)(bmod p^r ),$$ where p is a prime, n, m, k and r are various positive integers with n ? m ? 1, k ? 1 and r ? 1. Given positive integers k and r, denote by W(k, r) the set of all primes p such that the above congruence holds for every pair of integers n ? m ? 1. Using Ljunggren’s and Jacobsthal’s type congruences, we establish several characterizations of sets W(k, r) and inclusion relations between them for various values k and r. In particular, we prove that W(k + i, r) = W(k ? 1, r) for all k ? 2, i ? 0 and 3 ? r ? 3k, and W(k, r) = W(1, r) for all 3 ? r ? 6 and k ? 2. We also noticed that some of these properties may be used for computational purposes related to congruences given above.