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Algebra Difficulty 7.5 National olympiad, round 2 Find the answer United States

Express
k=0n(1)k(nk)!(n+k)! \sum_{k=0}^{n} (-1)^k (n-k)!(n+k)!
in closed form.

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

First Solution. (By Tiankai Liu) Let
f(k)=(n+1k)!(n+k)! f(k) = (n+1-k)!(n+k)!
for integers 0kn+10 \le k \le n + 1. Note that
f(k)+f(k+1)=(n+1k)!(n+k)!+(nk)!(n+k+1)!=(n+1k+n+k+1)(nk)!(n+k)!=2(n+1)(nk)!(n+k)!. \begin{aligned} f(k) + f(k + 1) &= (n+1-k)!(n+k)! + (n-k)!(n+k+1)! \\ &= (n + 1 - k + n + k + 1)(n-k)!(n+k)! \\ &= 2(n + 1)(n-k)!(n+k)!. \end{aligned}
Therefore,
k=0n(1)k(nk)!(n+k)!=12(n+1)k=0n(1)k[f(k)+f(k+1)]=f(0)+(1)nf(n+1)2(n+1)=(n+1)!n!+(1)n0!(2n+1)!2(n+1)=(n!)22+(1)n(2n+1)!2(n+1). \begin{aligned} \sum_{k=0}^{n} (-1)^k (n-k)!(n+k)! &= \frac{1}{2(n+1)} \sum_{k=0}^{n} (-1)^k [f(k) + f(k+1)] \\ &= \frac{f(0) + (-1)^n f(n+1)}{2(n+1)} \\ &= \frac{(n+1)!n! + (-1)^n 0!(2n+1)!}{2(n+1)} \\ &= \frac{(n!)^2}{2} + \frac{(-1)^n (2n+1)!}{2(n+1)}. \end{aligned}

Second Solution. (by Gabriel Carroll) Let
f(x)=k=0k!xkandg(x)=f(x)f(x). f(x) = \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} k!x^k \quad \text{and} \quad g(x) = f(x)f(-x).
Note that
f(x)=k=0(k+1)!(k+1)xk=k=0(k+2)!xkk=0(k+1)!xk=f(x)x1x2f(x)1x=f(x)(1x)1x2 \begin{align*} f'(x) &= \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} (k+1)!(k+1)x^k \\ &= \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} (k+2)!x^k - \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} (k+1)!x^k \\ &= \frac{f(x) - x - 1}{x^2} - \frac{f(x) - 1}{x} \\ &= \frac{f(x)(1-x) - 1}{x^2} \end{align*}
and
g(x)=f(x)f(x)f(x)f(x)=f(x)f(x)(1x)f(x)x2f(x)f(x)(1+x)f(x)x2=f(x)f(x)x22g(x)x. \begin{align*} g'(x) &= f(-x)f'(x) - f(x)f'(-x) \\ &= \frac{f(-x)f(x)(1-x) - f(-x)}{x^2} - \frac{f(x)f(-x)(1+x) - f(x)}{x^2} \\ &= \frac{f(x) - f(-x)}{x^2} - \frac{2g(x)}{x}. \end{align*}
Denote by [xk]h(x)[x^k]h(x) the coefficient of xkx^k in a power series h(x)h(x). We have
[x2n]g(x)=12n[x2n1]g(x)=12n[x2n1](f(x)f(x)x22g(x)x)=[x2n+1](f(x)f(x))2n[x2n]g(x)n. \begin{align*} [x^{2n}]g(x) &= \frac{1}{2n}[x^{2n-1}]g'(x) \\ &= \frac{1}{2n}[x^{2n-1}]\left(\frac{f(x)-f(-x)}{x^2} - \frac{2g(x)}{x}\right) \\ &= \frac{[x^{2n+1}](f(x)-f(-x))}{2n} - \frac{[x^{2n}]g(x)}{n}. \end{align*}
It follows that
[x2n]g(x)(1+1n)=2(2n+1)!2n, [x^{2n}]g(x) \left(1 + \frac{1}{n}\right) = \frac{2(2n+1)!}{2n},
or
[x2n]g(x)=(2n+1)!n+1.(1) [x^{2n}]g(x) = \frac{(2n+1)!}{n+1}. \qquad (1)
---
On the other hand,
g(x)=f(x)f(x)=k=0k!xkk=0(1)kk!xk=n=0(k=0n(1)nkk!(nk)!)xn. \begin{aligned} g(x) &= f(x)f(-x) = \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} k!x^k \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} (-1)^k k!x^k \\ &= \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \left( \sum_{k=0}^{n} (-1)^{n-k} k!(n-k)! \right) x^n. \end{aligned}
It follows that
[x2n]g(x)=k=02n(1)2nkk!(2nk)!=k=02n(1)kk!(2nk)!=2k=0n(1)kk!(2nk)!(1)nn!2=2m=0n(1)nm(nm)!(n+m)!(1)nn!2. \begin{aligned} [x^{2n}]g(x) &= \sum_{k=0}^{2n} (-1)^{2n-k} k!(2n-k)! = \sum_{k=0}^{2n} (-1)^k k!(2n-k)! \\ &= 2 \sum_{k=0}^{n} (-1)^k k!(2n-k)! - (-1)^n n!^2 \\ &= 2 \sum_{m=0}^{n} (-1)^{n-m} (n-m)!(n+m)! - (-1)^n n!^2. \end{aligned}
The last step can be seen easily by taking m=nkm = n - k. Thus,
[x2n]g(x)=2k=0n(1)nk(nk)!(n+k)!(1)nn!2, [x^{2n}]g(x) = 2 \sum_{k=0}^{n} (-1)^{n-k} (n-k)!(n+k)! - (-1)^n n!^2,
or
(1)n[x2n]g(x)+n!2=2k=0n(1)k(nk)!(n+k)!(2) (-1)^n [x^{2n}] g(x) + n!^2 = 2 \sum_{k=0}^{n} (-1)^{-k} (n-k)!(n+k)! \quad (2)
Combining (1) and (2) yields
k=0n(1)k(nk)!(n+k)!=(1)n[x2n]g(x)+(n!)22=(1)n(2n+1)!2(n+1)+(n!)22. \begin{aligned} \sum_{k=0}^{n} (-1)^k (n-k)!(n+k)! &= \frac{(-1)^n [x^{2n}] g(x) + (n!)^2}{2} \\ &= \frac{(-1)^n (2n+1)!}{2(n+1)} + \frac{(n!)^2}{2}. \end{aligned}

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