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Explicit estimates for the sum $\sum_{k=0}^{n} k! {n\choose k}^2 (-1)^{k}$

Number Theory 2024-08-20 v3

Abstract

We are interested in finding an explicit estimate to the binomial sum Qn(x)=k=0nk!(nk)2(x)kQ_n(x)=\sum_{k=0}^{n} k! {n\choose k}^2 (-x)^{k} at x=1x=1 for n=0,1,2,n=0,1,2,\ldots. Despite of its own interest the polynomial Qn(x)Q_n(x) is important as the denominator in the Pad\'e identity of the Euler's factorial series E(x)=k=0k!xkE(x) = \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} k! x^k as well as its close connection to a classical Laguerre polynomial Ln(x)=1n!ex(ddx)n(exxn)L_n(x) = \frac{1}{n!} e^x \left(\frac{d}{dx}\right)^n (e^{-x}x^n). Our main result is the explicit bound Ln(1)eπcos(2nπ4)n1/4+1748eπsin(2nπ4)n3/4<0.51n\left|L_n(1)-\sqrt{\frac{e}{\pi}}\cdot \frac{\cos (2\sqrt{n}-\frac{\pi}{4})}{n^{1/4}} +\frac{17}{48}\sqrt{\frac{e}{\pi}}\frac{\sin(2\sqrt{n}-\frac{\pi}{4})}{n^{3/4}}\right|<\frac{0.51}{n} for all n=0,1,2,n=0,1,2,\ldots, which replaces the Fej\'er's asymptotic formula from 1909. As a corollary of this, one also gets a new proof for the bound Qn(1)n!|Q_{n}(1)| \le n!, and even more.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2310.11468,
  title  = {Explicit estimates for the sum $\sum_{k=0}^{n} k! {n\choose k}^2 (-1)^{k}$},
  author = {Anne-Maria Ernvall-Hytönen and Tapani Matala-aho},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2310.11468},
  year   = {2024}
}