Asymptotics of a family of binomial sums (Q710492)

Let \(a,d\in{\mathbb N}\), \(\varepsilon\in\{0,1\}\). Using a recent method of \textit{R. Pemantle} and \textit{M. C. Wilson} [SIAM Rev. 50, No. 2, 199--272 (2008; Zbl 1149.05003)], the author presents asymptotics for the binomial sums \[ \sum_{k=0}^r(-1)^{\varepsilon k}\binom{r}{k}\binom{ar}{k}d^k,\quad r\to\infty. \] With the exception of finitely many cases the main terms are obtained explicitly, while the existence of a complete asymptotic expansion is established. A recent method by \textit{P. Flajolet} and \textit{R. Sedgewick} [Analytic combinatorics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2009; Zbl 1165.05001)] is used to establish the existence of a full asymptotic expansion for the remaining cases, and the main terms are again obtained explicitly. Among several specific examples they consider generalizations of the central Delannoy numbers and their alternating analogues.