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Difference between revisions of "Combinatorial identity"

(→‎Hockey-Stick Identity)
(→‎Vandermonde's Identity)
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==Vandermonde's Identity==
 
==Vandermonde's Identity==
 
Vandermonde's Identity states that <math>\sum_{k=0}^r\binom mk\binom n{r-k}=\binom{m+n}r</math>, which can be proven combinatorially by noting that any combination of <math>r</math> objects from a group of <math>m+n</math> objects must have some <math>0\le k\le r</math> objects from group <math>m</math> and the remaining from group <math>n</math>.
 
Vandermonde's Identity states that <math>\sum_{k=0}^r\binom mk\binom n{r-k}=\binom{m+n}r</math>, which can be proven combinatorially by noting that any combination of <math>r</math> objects from a group of <math>m+n</math> objects must have some <math>0\le k\le r</math> objects from group <math>m</math> and the remaining from group <math>n</math>.
 +
'''''Bold text'''''==Hockey-Stick Identity==
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For <math>n,r\in\mathbb{N}, n>r,\sum^n_{i=r}{i\choose r}={n+1\choose r+1}</math>.
 +
 +
<asy>
 +
int chew(int n,int r){
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int res=1;
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for(int i=0;i<r;++i){
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  res=quotient(res*(n-i),i+1);
 +
  }
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return res;
 +
}
 +
for(int n=0;n<9;++n){
 +
for(int i=0;i<=n;++i){
 +
  if((i==2 && n<8)||(i==3 && n==8)){
 +
  if(n==8){label(string(chew(n,i)),(11+n/2-i,-n),p=red+2.5);}
 +
  else{label(string(chew(n,i)),(11+n/2-i,-n),p=blue+2);}
 +
  }
 +
  else{
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  label(string(chew(n,i)),(11+n/2-i,-n));
 +
  }
 +
  }
 +
}
 +
</asy>
 +
 +
This identity is known as the ''hockey-stick'' identity because, on Pascal's triangle, when the addends represented in the summation and the sum itself are highlighted, a hockey-stick shape is revealed.
 +
 +
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===Proof===
 +
 +
'''Inductive Proof'''
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 +
This identity can be proven by induction on <math>n</math>.
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 +
<u>Base Case</u>
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Let <math>n=r</math>.
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<math>\sum^n_{i=r}{i\choose r}=\sum^r_{i=r}{i\choose r}={r\choose r}=1={r+1\choose r+1}</math>.
 +
 +
<u>Inductive Step</u>
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Suppose, for some <math>k\in\mathbb{N}, k>r</math>, <math>\sum^k_{i=r}{i\choose r}={k+1\choose r+1}</math>.
 +
Then <math>\sum^{k+1}_{i=r}{i\choose r}=\left(\sum^k_{i=r}{i\choose r}\right)+{k+1\choose r}={k+1\choose r+1}+{k+1\choose r}={k+2\choose r+1}</math>.
 +
 +
'''Algebraic Proof'''
 +
 +
It can also be proven algebraically with [[Pascal's Identity]], <math>{n \choose k}={n-1\choose k-1}+{n-1\choose k}</math>.
 +
Note that
 +
 +
<math>{r \choose r}+{r+1 \choose r}+{r+2 \choose r}+\cdots+{r+a \choose r}</math>
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<math>={r+1 \choose r+1}+{r+1 \choose r}+{r+2 \choose r}+\cdots+{r+a \choose r}</math>
 +
<math>={r+2 \choose r+1}+{r+2 \choose r}+\cdots+{r+a \choose r}=\cdots={r+a \choose r-1}+{r+a \choose r}={r+a+1 \choose r+1}</math>, which is equivalent to the desired result.
 +
 +
'''Combinatorial Proof'''
 +
 +
Imagine that we are distributing <math>n</math> indistinguishable candies to <math>k</math> distinguishable children. By a direct application of Balls and Urns, there are <math>{n+k-1\choose k-1}</math> ways to do this. Alternatively, we can first give <math>0\le i\le n</math> candies to the oldest child so that we are essentially giving <math>n-i</math> candies to <math>k-1</math> kids and again, with Balls and Urns, <math>{n+k-1\choose k-1}=\sum_{i=0}^n{n+k-2-i\choose k-2}</math>, which simplifies to the desired result.
  
 
==Another Identity==
 
==Another Identity==

Revision as of 13:38, 3 August 2010

Vandermonde's Identity

Vandermonde's Identity states that $\sum_{k=0}^r\binom mk\binom n{r-k}=\binom{m+n}r$, which can be proven combinatorially by noting that any combination of $r$ objects from a group of $m+n$ objects must have some $0\le k\le r$ objects from group $m$ and the remaining from group $n$. Bold text==Hockey-Stick Identity== For $n,r\in\mathbb{N}, n>r,\sum^n_{i=r}{i\choose r}={n+1\choose r+1}$.

[asy] int chew(int n,int r){ int res=1; for(int i=0;i<r;++i){ res=quotient(res*(n-i),i+1); } return res; } for(int n=0;n<9;++n){ for(int i=0;i<=n;++i){ if((i==2 && n<8)||(i==3 && n==8)){ if(n==8){label(string(chew(n,i)),(11+n/2-i,-n),p=red+2.5);} else{label(string(chew(n,i)),(11+n/2-i,-n),p=blue+2);} } else{ label(string(chew(n,i)),(11+n/2-i,-n)); } } } [/asy]

This identity is known as the hockey-stick identity because, on Pascal's triangle, when the addends represented in the summation and the sum itself are highlighted, a hockey-stick shape is revealed.


Proof

Inductive Proof

This identity can be proven by induction on $n$.

Base Case Let $n=r$.

$\sum^n_{i=r}{i\choose r}=\sum^r_{i=r}{i\choose r}={r\choose r}=1={r+1\choose r+1}$.

Inductive Step Suppose, for some $k\in\mathbb{N}, k>r$, $\sum^k_{i=r}{i\choose r}={k+1\choose r+1}$. Then $\sum^{k+1}_{i=r}{i\choose r}=\left(\sum^k_{i=r}{i\choose r}\right)+{k+1\choose r}={k+1\choose r+1}+{k+1\choose r}={k+2\choose r+1}$.

Algebraic Proof

It can also be proven algebraically with Pascal's Identity, ${n \choose k}={n-1\choose k-1}+{n-1\choose k}$. Note that

${r \choose r}+{r+1 \choose r}+{r+2 \choose r}+\cdots+{r+a \choose r}$ $={r+1 \choose r+1}+{r+1 \choose r}+{r+2 \choose r}+\cdots+{r+a \choose r}$ $={r+2 \choose r+1}+{r+2 \choose r}+\cdots+{r+a \choose r}=\cdots={r+a \choose r-1}+{r+a \choose r}={r+a+1 \choose r+1}$, which is equivalent to the desired result.

Combinatorial Proof

Imagine that we are distributing $n$ indistinguishable candies to $k$ distinguishable children. By a direct application of Balls and Urns, there are ${n+k-1\choose k-1}$ ways to do this. Alternatively, we can first give $0\le i\le n$ candies to the oldest child so that we are essentially giving $n-i$ candies to $k-1$ kids and again, with Balls and Urns, ${n+k-1\choose k-1}=\sum_{i=0}^n{n+k-2-i\choose k-2}$, which simplifies to the desired result.

Another Identity

\[\sum_{i=0}^k \binom{k}{i}^2=\binom{2k}{k}\]

Hat Proof

We have $2k$ different hats. We split them into two groups, each with k hats: then we choose $i$ hats from the first group and $k-i$ hats from the second group. This may be done in $\binom{k}{i}^2$ ways. Evidently, to generate all possible choices of $k$ hats from the $2k$ hats, we must choose $i=0,1,\cdots,k$ hats from the first $k$ and the remaining $k-i$ hats from the second $k$; the sum over all such $i$ is the number of ways of choosing $k$ hats from $2k$. Therefore $\sum_{i=0}^k \binom{k}{i}^2=\binom{2k}{k}$, as desired.

Examples

See also

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