Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T19:21:43.666Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

An asymptotic formula for powers of binomial coefficients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2016

Jeff D. Farmer
Affiliation:
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado 80639 USA
Steven C. Leth
Affiliation:
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado 80639 USA

Extract

The importance of teaching our students at all levels how to use computers as a problem-solving tool is well-recognised. Using numerical approximations to discover unknown formulas can be a powerful example. It is usually pointed out to the students that computer exploration alone is not sufficient and should be followed up whenever possible with a proof or at least some additional analysis. The importance of this is illustrated in the example below, in which there is compelling numerical evidence for an incorrect conclusion.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Mathematical Association 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Petkovšek, , Wilf, , and Zeilberger, , A = B, Peters, A. K. (1996).Google Scholar
2. Gould, H. W., Combinatorial identities, Morgantown Printing, Morgantown, West Virginia (1972).Google Scholar
3. Feller, William, An introduction to probability theory and its applications, Vol. 1 (3rd edn.) Wiley and Sons (1968).Google Scholar
4. Polya, G. and Szegő, G., Aufgaben und Lehrsäatze aus der Analysis, Vol. 1 (First American edition) Dover (1945).Google Scholar
5. Reed, M. C., Fundamental ideas of analysis, Wiley (1998).Google Scholar