Stirling Numbers1
Stirling Numbers1
Pn
k=n0 An,k and rising and falling factorial transforms
Parham Zarghami1,∗
arXiv:2312.04144v1 [math.NT] 7 Dec 2023
Abstract
In this paper, we discuss P a method that utilizes the recurrence of An,k to solve
n
summations of the form k=n0 An,k . It is observed that by repeating the pro-
cedure, the upper bound of summation is reduced and tilts toward the lower
bound. This method of summation is mostly suitable for combinatorial se-
quences such as binomial coefficients, Stirling numbers of both kinds, etc. After
the main method is displayed, some examples are illustrated. Some useful identi-
ties about Stirling and r-Stirling numbers are obtained. Finally, two transforms
called rising and falling factorial transforms which turn the basis of power poly-
nomials into factorial basis are derived. These transforms verify and simplify
the results obtained in the examples section. Also, these transforms describe the
relationship between fractional derivatives (or fractional integrals) and falling
factorial (or rising factorial) by its series expansion.
Keywords: Fractional calculus, Summation, Combinatorial sequence,
Factorial, Transformation, Integral representation
1. Introduction
There are several formulas and methods, e.g., telescoping series, that focus on
solving special summations. A summation is a way of accumulating information
in an explicit form. However, some information may be similar and can be
summed up before the summation. The aim of this research is to find a method
of summing up the same terms utilizing recurrences between different terms
of the sequence. This way, the bound of summations dwindles away until it
becomes trivial.
Table 1 shows a number of sequences with their recurrence relations. Table
2 illustrates definition of required functions.
∗ Corresponding author
Email address: [email protected] (Parham Zarghami)
1 Declarations of interest: None
2. The method
Summation on k:
n
X n X
X m n−1
X
An,k = ai (n, k)An−1,k−i = c1,i (n)An−1,i (4)
k=n0 k=n0 i=0 k=n0
2
Then, An,m = 0 and ai (n, m) = 0 for n < m and m < n0 is considered. Based
on above process, c1,i (n) can be defined as follows:
k
X
c1,i (n) = aj (n, i + j) (5)
j=0
n
X n−1
X n−2
X
An,k = c1,k (n)An−1,k = c2,k (n)An−2,k (7)
k=n0 k=n0 k=n0
n n−1
= g(n, n)
n n−1
n (12)
n−2 Y
= g(n, n)g(n − 1, n − 1) = ... = g(i, i)
n−2 i=1
Pn n
(9) and (10) are used for polynomials of the form i=n0 k xk as follows:
n n0
X n k n0 Y
x = xn0 Yn−n0 ,n0 (x) = xn0 Yn−n0 ,n0 (x) g(i, i) (13)
i=n
k n0 i=1
0
3
Where Ym,k (x) has a recurrence as below:
Ym,k (x) = f (n − m + 1, k)Ym−1,k (x) + xg(n − m + 1, k + 1)Ym−1,k+1 (x) (14)
Here n is the upper bound of the summation and Y0,k (x) = 1, Y1,k (x) = f (n, k)+
xg(n, k + 1). (9) and (10) are used for rising factorial polynomials of the form
Pn n k
k=n0 k x as follows:
n n0
X n k n0 Y
x = xn0 yn−n0 ,n0 (x) = xn0 yn−n0 ,n0 (x) g(i, i) (15)
k n0 i=1
k=n0
3. Examples
In this section, we will focus on special cases of super-recurrence involved in
polynomials discussed in the previous section. Table 3 illustrates recurrence of
three famous combinatorial sequences:
Recurrence relation of Ym,k (x) and ym,k (x) illustrated as Table 4 and Table
5 respectively.
It is observed that in all cases Y0,k (x) = 1 and y0,k (x) = 1 are present.
For solving the above recurrences, we do not need to use complicated methods
while we can use the recurrence unfolding method [3]. It means that we must
replace nth term with (n − 1)th terms involved in the main recurrence. We can
perform iterations in a top-down and bottom-up manner. To avoid repeated
calculations, we have displayed the results only.
4
Table 5: ym,k (x) of sequences
Sequence ym,k (x)
Binomial coefficients ym,k (x) = ym−1,k (x) + (x + k)ym−1,k+1 (x)
Stirling numbers of the first kind ym,k (x) = (n − m)ym−1,k (x) + (x + k)ym−1,k+1 (x)
Stirling numbers of the second kind ym,k (x) = kym−1,k (x) + (x + k)ym−1,k+1 (x)
Is simplified to:
n n
X n X n!
yn,0 (1) = i! =
i i!
i=0 i=0
Z ∞ (22)
= eΓ(n + 1, 1) = e tn e−t dt
1
5
As the difference of exponential function is ∆m−1
n tn = (t − 1)m−1 tn :
Z ∞
e
yn,0 (m) = (t − 1)m−1 tn e−t dt (25)
(m − 1)! 1
This verifies main recurrence. Then we arrive in an explicit form for yn,k (x) by
(21): Z ∞
1
yn,k (x) = yn,0 (x + k) = (t + 1)n tx+k−1 e−t dt (27)
Γ(x + k) 0
Pn
And integral representation for k=0 nk xk :
n
X n k
x = yn,0 (m)
k
k=0
Z ∞ (28)
1
= (t + 1)n tx−1 e−t dt
Γ(x) 0
We conclude that:
Ym,k (x) = (x + n − m)m (30)
Then, the explicit form of intended polynomial is easily obtained:
n
X n
xk = Yn,0 (x) = xn (31)
k
k=0
6
Applying definition of gamma function:
m X j Z ∞
X m j
sm,k (x) = (−1)m−j (n − 1)j−i tx+k+i−1 e−t dt (34)
j=0 i=0
j i 0
It is simplified as:
Z m
∞X j
X m j
sm,k (x) = ( (−1)m−j (n − 1)j−i tx+k+i−1 )e−t dt
0 j=0 i=0
j i
Z ∞X m
m (35)
= (−1)m−j (t + n − 1)j tx+k−1 e−t dt
0 j=0
j
Z ∞
= (t + n − 1)m tx+k−1 e−t dt
0
Suppose k = 0 and m = n:
Z ∞
1
yn,0 (x) = (t + n − 1)n tx−1 e−t dt
Γ(x) 0
Z ∞ (37)
1
= tn tx−1 e−t dt
Γ(x) 0
Then for the Stirling number of the first kind involved in rising factorial poly-
nomial we have the formula below:
n Z ∞
X n k 1
x = yn,0 (x) = tn tx−1 e−t dt (38)
k Γ(x) 0
k=0
7
So:
n
X n+k
Yn,k (x) = xi
i=0
i + k k
n i
X 1X i
= (−1)i−j (k + j)n xi
i=0
i! j=0
j
n n (41)
X (k + j)n X xi
= (−1)i−j
j=0
j! i=j
(i − j)!
n n−j
X (k + j)n xj X (−x)i
=
j=0
j! i=0
i!
By (1):
n Z ∞
e−x X n
Yn,k (x) = (k + j)n xj tn−j e−t dt
n! j=0 j −x
n (42)
e−x ∞ X n
Z
= (k + j)n xj tn−j e−t dt
n! −x j=0 j
d
Suppose Dx is an operator in Dx = x dx , then, we can obtain Dxn (xi ) = in xi .
So:
n
(−1)n x−k e−x ∞ X n
Z
Yn,k (x) = (−k − j)n xk+j t−k−j tn+k e−t dt
n! −x j=0 j
n
(−1)n x−k e−x ∞ X n
Z
x
= Dtn (( )k+j )tn+k e−t dt (43)
n! −x j=0 j t
(−1)n x−k e−x ∞ n x k
Z
x
= Dt (( ) (1 + )n )tn+k e−t dt
n! −x t t
The operator in integral can be vanished with integration by part. Also, this
integral can be solved by Laplace transform or other transforms. For intended
polynomial we have:
n
(−1)n e−x ∞ n
Z
X n k x
x = Tn (x) = Yn,0 (x) = Dt ((1 + )n )tn e−t dt (44)
k n! −x t
k=0
8
Using bottom up unfolding for this recurrence on k and applying Yn,0 (x) =
Tn (x), we can easily observe that:
k
1 X k
Yn,k (x) = k (−1)k−i Tn+i−1 (x) (47)
x i=0 i
We get:
X k
n+k−1 k n+i
= (50)
m i=0
i m i
9
4. Rising and falling factorial transforms
n
X
Pn (x) = an,k xk (56)
k=0
1
Z ∞ X n (58)
= ( an,k tk )tx−1 e−t dt
Γ(x) 0
k=0
Z ∞
1
= Pn (t)tx−1 e−t dt
Γ(x) 0
Here we encounter the fact that operation can be done on two distinct types
of polynomials (i.e. power and factorial polynomials). This is useful to derive
formulas
n for RF T (RF T (P
Pnn(x)))
nand RF T −1(RF T −1 (Pn (x))) utilizing xn =
P n n k
k=0 k (x)k and x = k=0 k x on (55) and (56), respectively:
n n Xk
X X k
Pn (−x) = an,k (−1)k xk = an,k (−1)k (x)i
i=0
i
k=0 k=0
n n
(59)
X
i
X k
= (−x) an,k (−1)k−i
i=0
i
k=i
RF T −1
(RF T −1
(Rn (x))) = RF T −1 (Pn (x))
n n
X X k
= xi an,k (−1)k−i
i=0
i (60)
k=i
n
X
= an,k (−1)k Tk (−x)
k=0
10
n n X k n n
X X k X X k
Rn (x) = an,k xk = an,k xi = xi an,k (61)
i i
k=0 k=0 i=0 i=0 k=i
n n
X
i
X k
RF T (RF T (Pn(x))) = RF T (Rn (x)) = x an,k
i=0
i
k=i
n k Z ∞ (62)
X X k i 1
= an,k ( x)= Rn (t)tx−1 e−t dt
i=0
i Γ(x) 0
k=0
Consider the following polynomial to which this form ∆k f (x) = (E − I)k f (x) =
Pk k
k−i
i=0 i (−1) f (x + i) and Cauchy multiplication are applied:
∞ ∞ k
X ∆k Pn (−x) k X y k X k
y = (−1)k−i Pn (−x − i)
k! k! i=0 i
k=0 k=0
∞ k
X X (−1)k−i Pn (−x − i)
= yk (63)
i=0
(k − i)! i!
k=0
∞
X Pn (−x − k)
=e −y
yk
k!
k=0
k
This is generalization of Dobinski formula [5]. Also, we can use ∆ f (x)
k! =
P∞ i f (i) (x)
i=k k i! from [8] for above polynomial:
∞ ∞ ∞ (i)
X ∆k Pn (−x) k X k X i Pn (−x)
y = y
k! k i!
k=0 k=0 i=k
i
(64)
∞ (i) ∞ (i)
X Pn (−x) X i k X Pn (−x)
= y = Ti (y)
i=0
i! k i=0
i!
k=0
Pn(i) (−x)
Consequently, by i! = an,k (−1)k we have:
x=0
n ∞ ∞
X X ∆k Pn (−x) X Pn (−k) k
an,k (−1)k Ti (y) = y k = e−y y (65)
i=0
k! k!
k=0 x=0 k=0
11
A power and a falling factorial polynomial can be represented as follows:
n
X
Pn (x) = an,k xk (67)
k=0
n
X
Fn (x) = an,k (x)k (68)
k=0
FFT
Pn (x) −−−→ Fn (x) (69)
By [9]:
1 1 et
Z
= dt (70)
Γ(z) 2πi C tz
Which C is any deformed anticlockwise Bromwich contour [9]. Using the defi-
nition of falling factorial:
Γ(x + 1) Γ(x + 1) et
Z
(x)n = = x−n+1
dt (71)
Γ(x − n + 1) 2πi C t
So, we get:
Γ(x + 1) Pn (t)et
Z
Fn (x) = dt (72)
2πi C tx+1
By [10]:
5. Future works
The following suggestions are made for further studies:
1. Generalizing of this method: We proposed a method that was used to
solve finite summation with a restrictive parameter. Hence, infinite sum-
mations with more variables can be considered. Also, this method can be
generalized to multidimensional summation;
2. Solving more examples: More examples can be solved by this method,
especially polynomials (e.g., power or factorial polynomials);
3. Extending rising and falling factorial transforms.
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6. Conclusion
We proposed a method that solves the summations that are finite and have
a restrictive parameter. We illustrated some examples from which some use-
ful identities emerge. We also investigated two new transforms that unify the
results obtained in the example section. In addition, they are suitable for the
transformation of the power series into the Newton series and vice versa. By
the inversion formula of both transforms, almost all series can be solved. We
can conclude from the results of section 4 that falling and rising factorial trans-
forms can be represented as fractional derivatives and integrals of the intended
function, respectively.
References
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