An asymptotic formula for binomial sums

Factorials, binomial coefficients, combinatorial functions (05A10) Asymptotic enumeration (05A16) Binomial coefficients; factorials; (q)-identities (11B65)

Review text

This paper studies asymptotic expansions for binomial sums of the form \[ S(n)=\sum^n_{k=0}\begin{pmatrix} n\\ k\end{pmatrix}^{r_0}\begin{pmatrix} n+k\\ k\end{pmatrix}^{r_1}\begin{pmatrix} n+2k\\ k\end{pmatrix}^{r_2}\dots\begin{pmatrix} n+mk\\ k\end{pmatrix}^{r_m}, \] where the \(r_j\) are nonnegative real numbers with \(r_0>0\). The main result is the following: Let \(r=r_0+r_1+r_2+\cdots+r_m\) and define \(0<\lambda<1\) by \[ \prod^m_{j=0}\left({(1+j\lambda)^j\over \lambda(1+j\lambda-\lambda)^{j-1}}\right)=1. \] Set \[ \mu=\prod^m_{j=0} \left({1+j\lambda\over 1+j\lambda-\lambda}\right)^{r_j}\quad\text{and} \quad \nu=\sum^m_{j=0} {r_j\over (1+j\lambda-\lambda)(1+j\lambda)}. \] Then for each nonnegative integer \(p\), we have that \[ S(n)={\mu^{n+1/2}\over \sqrt{\nu(2\pi\lambda n)^{r-1}}} \left(1+\sum^p_{k=1} {R_k\over n^k}+O(n^{-p-1})\right),\tag{\(*\)} \] where the \(R_k\) are rational expressions in the \(r_j\) and \(\lambda\). After proving the result, the author proceeds to study some examples: In the cases \(m=0\) and \(m=1\), he gives explicit formulas for the terms in \((*)\), including the first one or two of the \(R_k\). A remark concerning the references: Reference [8], ``Asymptotic expansions of P-recursive sequences by B. Haible and M. Stoll (which is given as ``to appear) has not been submitted for publication. The paper can be obtained from the reviewer or can be found at ftp://math.uni-duesseldorf.de/home/stoll/papers/comb/asymptotic.dvi[.gz].

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