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Top Ten Summation Formulas

Name Summation formula Constraints


n
!
n
(x + y)n = xn−k y k
X
1. Binomial theorem integer n ≥ 0
k=0 k
!
α k
x = (1 + x)α
X
Binomial series |x| < 1 if α 6=
k k
integer n ≥ 0.
n−1 n
1−r
ar k = a
X
2. Geometric sum r 6= 1
k=0
1−r

a
ar k =
X
Geometric series |r| < 1
k=0
1−r
X
3. Telescoping sum ∆F (k) = F (b) − F (a) integers a ≤ b
a≤k<b
“Fundamental Theorem” of summation calculus

k m+1 b

km =
X
4. Sum of powers integers a ≤ b
a≤k<b m + 1 a
See related formulas. integer m 6= −1
! ! !
X r s r+s
5. Vandermonde convolution = integer n
k k n−k n
∞ k
x
= ex
X
6. Exponential series complex x
k=0 k!


f (k) (a)
(x − a)k = f (x)
X
7. Taylor series |x − a| < R =
k=0 k!
a = 0: Maclaurin series !
radius of convergence
k
X ∆ f (a) k X x k
8. Newton’s advancing x = ∆ f (a) = f (a + x) real a, x
k k! k k
difference formula f = polynomial
m
b Bk (k−1) b
Z
X X
9. Euler’s summation f (k) = f (x) dx + f (x) integers a ≤ b
a≤k<b a k=1 k! a
m+1 b Bm (x−⌊x⌋) (m)
formula +(−1) f (x)dx integer m ≥ 1
R
a m!
X Z b
m = 1: trapezoidal rule: f (k) ≈ f (x) dx − (1/2)[f (b) − f (a)]
a≤k<b a
n n
(−1)k−1 Sk
[ X
10. Inclusion-exclusion P( Aj ) = events A1 , . . . , An
j=1 k=1
X k
\
Also true if “P” = “#” where Sk = P( Aji )
1≤j1 <···<jk ≤n i=1
Other Contenders and Related Formulas

Name Summation formula Constraints

!
a1 , . . . , am X ak1 · · · akm z k
Hypergeometric series F z =
b1 , . . . , bn
k≥0 b1 · · · bn k!
k k

n−1 m
!
1 X m+1
km = Bk nm+1−k
X
Sum of powers integer n ≥ 1
k=0 m + 1 k=0 k

n−1
X
m nm+1
Thus k = + lower order terms
k=0 m+1

Formulas relating
factorial powers
and ordinary powers
( )
n n
xk
X
Stirling numbers of x = integer n ≥ 0
k
k
the second kind
" #
n n
xk
X
Stirling numbers of x = integer n ≥ 0
k
k
the first kind " #
n
xn = (−1)n−k xk
X
Stirling numbers of integer n ≥ 0
k
k
the first kind

n 01 2 3 4 5
Bernoulli numbers
Bn 1
−1/2 1/6 0 −1/30 0
n 6 7 8 9 10 11
B12 = −691/2730
Bn 1/42! 0 −1/30 0 5/66 0
m
X m+1
Implicit recursion Bm = [m = 0]
j=0 j
z X zn
Generating function = B n
ez − 1 n≥0 n!

!
m
Bk xm−k
X
Bernoulli polynomial Bm (x) =
k k

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