{"@context":["https://w3id.org/fdo/context/v1",{"schema":"https://schema.org/","prov":"http://www.w3.org/ns/prov#","fdo":"https://w3id.org/fdo/vocabulary/"}],"@id":"https://fdo.portal.mardi4nfdi.de/fdo/Q1381817","@type":"DigitalObject","kernel":{"@id":"https://fdo.portal.mardi4nfdi.de/fdo/Q1381817","digitalObjectType":"https://schema.org/ScholarlyArticle","primaryIdentifier":"mardi:Q1381817","kernelVersion":"v1","immutable":true,"modified":"2025-12-25T00:05:48Z"},"profile":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q1381817","name":"Left-inversion of combinatorial sums","headline":"Left-inversion of combinatorial sums","description":"scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1135934","url":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q1381817","datePublished":"1999-01-05","author":[{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q1381816"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q244863"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q210470"}],"publisher":[{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q175483"}],"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"doi","value":"10.1016/S0012-365X(97)00110-6","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-365X(97)00110-6"},"sameAs":["https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-365X(97)00110-6"],"comment":"Let \\(\\kappa\\) be any field of characteristic zero; e.g., \\(\\kappa= \\mathbb{R}\\) or \\(\\mathbb{C}\\). Consider the algebra \\(\\kappa [[t]]\\) of formal series \\(f(t)= \\sum_{k\\geq 0} f_kt^k\\). The notation \\([t^k] (\\dots)\\) for `the coefficient of \\(t^k\\) in the series \\((\\dots)\\)' is being used; so, \\([t^k] f(t)= f_k\\) and \\(f(t)\\) serves for the usual generating function of \\((f_k\\mid k\\in \\mathbb{N}_0)\\). A Riordan array is a pair \\((d(t), h(t))\\) of formal series with \\(d(t)\\) of order 0; it defines the triangular array \\((d_{n,k} \\mid n,k\\in \\mathbb{N}_0\\) and \\(k\\leq n)\\) of elements in \\(\\kappa\\) according to the rule \\(d_{n,k}= [t^n]d(t) (th(t))^k\\). For such an array \\(\\sum^n_{k=0} d_{n,k} f_k=[t^n] d(t)f (th(t))\\) holds. An example of a Riordan array is provided by \\(d(t)= h(t)= (1-t)^{-1}\\). It defines the Pascal triangle. Any series \\(f(t)\\) of order one has the inverse, i.e. the unique series \\(g(t)\\) such that \\((f\\circ g)(t)= t=(g \\circ f)(t)\\). The coefficients of \\(g(t)\\) are given by Lagrangian inversion, \\(g_n= {1\\over n!} \\Biggl[\\Bigl( {d\\over dt} \\Bigr)^{n-1} \\Bigl({t \\over f(t)} \\Bigr)^n \\Biggr]_{t=0}\\) \\((n\\geq 1)\\). Inverting combinatorial sums may be considered a center of attraction in combinatorics [see \\textit{J. Riordan}, Am. Math. Mon. 71, 485-498 (1964; Zbl 0128.01603) or Combinatorial identities (1968; Zbl 0194.00502)]. In this paper the concepts of Riordan array and Lagrange inversion are used to give a new approach to this question. To explain the essence of what is proposed the authors use the relation \\(a_n= \\sum^{\\lfloor {n\\over 2} \\rfloor}_{k =0} {n \\choose 2k} b_k\\) with \\((b_k\\mid k\\in \\mathbb{N}_0)\\) given. To invert this combinatorial sum, take the array \\(D=((1-t)^{-1}\\), \\(t(1-t)^{-2})\\) with \\(d_{n,k}= [t^n]((1-t)^{-1} (t(1-t)^{-2})^k) ={n \\choose 2k}\\). As the diagonal elements \\(d_{n,n}\\) \\((n>0)\\) are all zero, it is impossible to use Cauchy inversion. However, the following way out is proposed. For the generating functions \\(a(t) \\) and \\(b(t)\\) for \\((a_k)\\) and \\((b_k)\\), correspondingly, it holds \\(a(t)= b(t^2(1-t)^{-2}) (1-t)^{-1}\\); it follows \\(b(y)= [(1-t)a(t)\\mid y =t^2(1-t)^{-2}]\\). By Lagrange inversion one obtains  \\[ b_n=[y^n] b(y)= {1\\over 2n} [t^{2n-1}] \\bigl((1-t) a'(t)- a(t)\\bigr)(1-t)^{2n} =\\sum^{2n}_{k=0} (-1)^k {2n \\choose k} a_k. \\]  Using the arrays \\(P=\\{ {n \\choose 2k} \\mid n,k\\in \\mathbb{N}_0\\}\\) and \\(\\widetilde P= \\{(-1)^k {2n \\choose k} \\mid n,k\\in \\mathbb{N}_0\\}\\) one can check that \\(\\widetilde PP=I\\) and \\(P\\widetilde PP= P\\), showing that \\(\\widetilde P\\) is the `left-inverse' array of \\(P\\). In this reasoning there is a delicate point, because the used identities \\(y=t^2 (1-t)^{-2}\\) and \\(t= \\sqrt y(1-t)\\) are not equivalent. According to \\textit{P. Henrici} [Applied and computational complex analysis (1991)] the functional equation \\(y=h(t)\\) with \\(\\text{ord} (h(t))=2\\) has the two solutions \\(t_1(y)= \\sqrt y(1+ \\sqrt y)^{-1}\\) and \\(t_2(y)= -\\sqrt y\\cdot (1-\\sqrt y)^{-1}\\) belonging to \\(\\kappa [y^{1/2}]\\). Only one of these solutions is chosen to perform the Lagrange inversion.   In this well-written paper the authors justify such a choice of a single solution of a given functional equation and examine the corresponding process of left inversion. Their results (Theorems 2.3 and 2.4) provide a method for inverting combinatorial sums \\(a_n= \\sum^{\\lfloor {n\\over s} \\rfloor}_{k=0} d_{n,k} b_k\\) for Riordan arrays \\(\\{d_{n,k}\\}\\) with \\(s= \\text{ord} (h(t))\\geq 1\\), which gives left-inverses \\(b_n= \\sum^{ns}_{k=0} \\widetilde d_{n,k} a_k\\) (here \\(\\widetilde d_{n,k}\\) denotes the generic element of the inverse array). Several concise examples are given by the authors showing that this approach properly includes inversions treated by J. Riordan [loc. cit.]. Also, this paper extends umbral results by \\textit{W. A. Al-Salam} and \\textit{A. Verma} [Duke Math. J. 37, 361-365 (1970; Zbl 0205.07603)] and by \\textit{A. Di Bucchianico} [PhD Thesis, Rijksunitversiteit Groningen (1991)] to the streched arrays. Everybody interested in combinatorial identities and Lagrange inversion should consult this important paper for further information.","citation":[{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q2542122"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q1838482"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q1174858"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q4322451"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q3831007"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q1843570"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q3669422"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q4003893"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q3937411"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q5335325"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q5589310"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q1245965"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q1182323"},{"@id":"https://portal.mardi4nfdi.de/entity/Q1336667"}]},"provenance":{"prov:generatedAtTime":"2025-12-25T00:05:48Z","prov:wasAttributedTo":"MaRDI Knowledge Graph"}}