Beta-elements and divided congruences

Abstract

The f-invariant is an injective homomorphism from the 2-line of the Adams-Novikov spectral sequence to a group which is closely related to divided congruences of elliptic modular forms. We compute the f-invariant for two infinite families of beta-elements and explain the relation of the arithmetic of divided congruences with the Kervaire invariant one problem.

minor changes; final version, to appear in Amer. J. Math