On the coefficients of $q$-series and modular forms

Abstract: In this Ph.D dissertation (University of Virginia, 2022), we prove results about the coefficients of partition-theoretic generating functions and of coefficients of integer weight modular forms. Using various forms of the circle method, we prove results about the distribution of partition statistics in residue classes modulo $t$. For example, we prove that the parts of partitions into distinct parts are equidistributed modulo $t$ (but that certain biases occur nonetheless) and that the number of $t$-hooks in a partition is generally not equidistributed modulo primes. We also obtain exact formulas for the $t$-hook counting functions using modular transformation laws. We also employ the circle method to prove a conjecture of Coll, Mayers and Mayers that the $q$-series $(q, -q^3; q^4)_\infty^{-1}$ has non-negative coefficients. These topics cover Chapters 3-6. Chapter 7 gives an application of partition asymptotics for proving hyperbolicity of Jensen polynomials using the criterion of Griffin, Ono, Rolen and Zagier. Chapter 8 gives a new method for solving equations of the form $a_f(n) = \alpha$, where $\alpha \in \mathbb{Z}$ is odd and $a_f(n)$ are the coefficients of a normalized Hecke eigenform with trivial mod 2 Galois representation. The method is based on the primitive prime divisor theorem of Bilu, Hanrot, and Voutier along with methods in effective algebraic geometry for elliptic curves, hyperelliptic curves, and Thue equations.