Monday, June 24, 2019

induction - Summation problem involving odd numbers and binomial coefficients. Prove summk=0binomnk(n2k)(1)k=0



Recently I came across a finite sum which appears to be zero for all odd numbers. The sum is defined as follows:





\sum_{k=0}^{m}~\binom{n}{k}(n-2k)(-1)^k
where n=2m+1.




For the first few m this sum always equals zero. I tried to prove this by induction with the inductive step from m=k to m=k+1 but I did not got this far with this approach. So I am asking for a proof of this formula with an explanation.







I have found more of these sums and I would be interested in a more general result. It seems to me like that in general the exponent of the term n-2k is irrelevant as long as it is an odd number. So that



\sum_{k=0}^{m}~\binom{n}{k}(n-2k)^3(-1)^k
\sum_{k=0}^{m}~\binom{n}{k}(n-2k)^5(-1)^k
...



all equal zero. I guess thats a fact but I have no clue how to derivate this.







I have to add that it is not needed for the number to be odd or even - all these sums should work out for both. So also the following should equal zero.



\sum_{k=0}^{m}~\binom{n}{k}(n-2k)^2(-1)^k
\sum_{k=0}^{m}~\binom{n}{k}(n-2k)^4(-1)^k
...


Answer



We have that for n=2m+1>1, then
\begin{align} \sum_{k=0}^{m}~\binom{n}{k}(n-2k)(-1)^k&=\sum_{k=0}^{m}~\binom{n}{k}(n-k)(-1)^k-\sum_{k=0}^{m}~\binom{n}{k}k(-1)^k\\ &=\sum_{k'=n-m}^{n}~\binom{n}{n-k'}k'(-1)^{n-k'}-\sum_{k=0}^{m}~\binom{n}{k}k(-1)^k\\ &=-\sum_{k'=m+1}^{n}~\binom{n}{k'}k'(-1)^{k'}-\sum_{k=0}^{m}~\binom{n}{k}k(-1)^k\\ &=-\sum_{k=0}^{n}~\binom{n}{k}k(-1)^{k}=n\sum_{k=1}^{n}~\binom{n-1}{k-1}(-1)^{k-1}\\ &=n(1+(-1))^{n-1}=0\end{align}
where at the second step, we rewrite the first sum with respect to the new index k':=n-k.



P.S. If d is odd then again by letting k'=n-k,
\sum_{k=0}^{m}\binom{n}{k}(n-2k)^d(-1)^k=\sum_{k'=m+1}^{n}\binom{n}{n-k'}(n-2(n-k'))^d(-1)^{n-k'}\\=\sum_{k=m+1}^{n}\binom{n}{k'}(n-2k')^d(-1)^{k'}
which implies that
\sum_{k=0}^{m}\binom{n}{k}(n-2k)^d(-1)^k=\frac{1}{2}\sum_{k=0}^{n}\binom{n}{k}(n-2k)^d(-1)^k.
This sum is NOT always zero. For example, when n=d, by Tepper's identity, we have that

\sum_{k=0}^{n}\binom{n}{k}(n-2k)^n(-1)^k=2^n\cdot n!.


No comments:

Post a Comment

analysis - Injection, making bijection

I have injection f \colon A \rightarrow B and I want to get bijection. Can I just resting codomain to f(A)? I know that every function i...