A003162 A binomial coefficient summation. (Formerly M2597)

1, 1, 1, 3, 6, 19, 49, 163, 472, 1626, 5034, 17769, 57474, 206487, 688881, 2508195, 8563020, 31504240, 109492960, 406214878, 1432030036, 5349255726, 19077934506, 71672186953, 258095737156, 974311431094, 3537275250214, 13408623649893

Offset

0,4

Comments

From Peter Bala, Mar 26 2023: (Start)

For r a positive integer define S(r,n) = Sum_{k = 0..floor(n/2)} ( binomial(n,k) - binomial(n,k-1) )^r. Gould (1974) proposed the problem of showing that S(3,n) was always divisible by S(1,n). The present sequence is {S(3,n)/S(1,n)}. In fact, calculation suggests that if r is odd then S(r,n) is always divisible by S(1,n). For other cases see A361888 ({S(5,n)/S(1,n)}) and A361891 ({S(7,n)/ S(1,n)}).

Conjecture: Let b(n) = a(2*n-1). Then the supercongruence b(n*p^k) == b(n*p^(k-1)) (mod p^(3*k)) holds for positive integers n and k and all primes p >= 5. See A183069. (End)

References

N. J. A. Sloane and Simon Plouffe, The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, Academic Press, 1995 (includes this sequence).

Links

Table of n, a(n) for n=0..27.

H. W. Gould, Problem E2384, Amer. Math. Monthly, 81 (1974), 170-171.

Formula

G.f.: hypergeometric expression with an antiderivative, see Maple program. - Mark van Hoeij, May 06 2013

Recurrence: 4*n*(n+1)^2*(196*n^3 - 819*n^2 + 530*n + 528)*a(n) = 2*n*(1372*n^4 - 3633*n^3 - 7455*n^2 + 21934*n - 8448)*a(n-1) + (12740*n^6 - 90867*n^5 + 195310*n^4 - 13277*n^3 - 452690*n^2 + 528384*n - 174960)*a(n-2) + 8*(n-2)*(686*n^4 - 3010*n^3 + 1176*n^2 + 6543*n - 4725)*a(n-3) - 16*(n-3)^2*(n-2)*(196*n^3 - 231*n^2 - 520*n + 435)*a(n-4). - Vaclav Kotesovec, Mar 06 2014

a(n) ~ 4^(n+2)/(9*Pi*n^2). - Vaclav Kotesovec, Mar 06 2014

Maple

H := hypergeom([1/2, 1/2], [1], 16*x^2);
ogf := (Int(6*H*(4*x^2+5)/(4-x^2)^(3/2), x)+H*(16*x^2-1)/(4-x^2)^(1/2))*((2-x)/(2+x))^(1/2)/(4*x)+1/(8*x);
series(ogf, x=0, 20);  # Mark van Hoeij, May 06 2013

Mathematica

Table[Sum[(Binomial[n, k]-Binomial[n, k-1])^3/Binomial[n, Floor[n/2]], {k, 0, Floor[n/2]}], {n, 0, 20}] (* Vaclav Kotesovec, Mar 06 2014 *)

Prog

(PARI) a(n)=if(n<0, 0, sum(k=0, n\2, (binomial(n, k)-binomial(n, k-1))^3)/binomial(n, n\2)) /* Michael Somos, Jun 02 2005 */

Crossrefs

Cf. A003161, A183069, A361888, A361891

Sequence in context: A148566 A148567 A148568 * A179277 A129417 A369553

Adjacent sequences: A003159 A003160 A003161 * A003163 A003164 A003165

Keyword

nonn,easy

Author

N. J. A. Sloane

Status

approved