Polynomial identities from weighted lattice path counting (Q1916134)

The paper uses weighted lattice path enumeration to prove the following identity: For any integers \(s\geq 1\), \(n_0, n_1,\dots, n_s\geq 0\), \(N\geq n_0+ n_1+\cdots+ n_s\) and commuting indeterminates \(x_0, x_1,\dots, x_s\), one has \[ \sum^s_{j= 0} \sum_{{\begin{smallmatrix} 0\leq i_k\leq n_{j+ k}\\ \text{for } 1\leq k\leq s\end{smallmatrix}}} \begin{pmatrix} n_j+ i_1+\cdots+ i_s\\ n_j, i_1,\dots,i_s\end{pmatrix}\cdot [x_j]^{n_j+ 1}_h [x_{j+ 1}]^{i_1}_h\cdots [x_{j+ s}]^{i_s}_h\cdot \] \[ \cdot [x_0+\cdots+ x_s+ (n_j+ 1+ i_1+\cdots+ i_s) h]^{N- n_j- i_1-\cdots- i_s}_h= [x_0+\cdots+ x_s]^{N+ 1}_h, \] where \([x]^m_h= x(x+ h)\cdots (x+ (m- 1) h)\) and the indices are taken modulo \((s+ 1)\). Note that Lemma 1 in the paper is just the iteration of Ex. 33 of Section 1.2.6 in the book of \textit{E. D. Knuth} [The art of computer programming. Vol. 1: Fundamental algorithms, second edition (1981), first edition (1968; Zbl 0191.17903)].