Let us define the binomial coefficients, C(n,k), to be the coefficients in the formal power series n --- k (1+x) = > C(n,k) x [1] --- k where C(n,k) = 0 for any k < 0. Using the Taylor series for (1+x)^n, we get for k >= 0, n(n-1)(n-2)(n-3)...(n-k+1) C(n,k) = -------------------------- [2] k! When n is a non-negative integer, this becomes n! C(n,k) = -------- [3a] (n-k)!k! and for -n a negative integer, k C(-n,k) = (-1) C(n+k-1,k) [3b] Note that from the symmetry in [3a], we have that for non-negative n, C(n,k) = C(n,n-k) [4] Letting x = 1 and -1 in [1], we get for non-negative, integral n, --- n > C(n,k) = 2 [5a] --- k and --- k n > (-1) C(n,k) = 0 [5b] --- k where 0^0 = 1. Taking the product of [1] for two different exponents, we get n m --- --- k (1+x) (1+x) = > > C(n,k-j) C(m,j) x [6a] --- --- k j and n+m --- k (1+x) = > C(n+m,k) x [6b] --- k Equating the binomial coefficients in [6a] and [6b], we get the identity --- > C(n,k-j) C(m,j) = C(n+m,k) [7] --- j Applying [3b], [4], and [7], we get n --- > C(n-j,k) C(j,m) --- j=0 n --- = > C(n-j,n-j-k) C(j,j-m) --- j=0 n --- n-j-k j-m = > (-1) C(-k-1,n-j-k) (-1) C(-m-1,j-m) --- j=0 --- n-k-m = > (-1) C(-k-1,n-j-k) C(-m-1,j-m) --- j n-k-m = (-1) C(-m-k-2,n-k-m) = C(n+1,n-k-m) = C(n+1,k+m+1) [8] Note the following: 1 1 ------ - -------- C(n,k) C(n+1,k) 1 n+1 1 n-k+1 = ---------- --- - ---------- ----- C(n+1,k+1) k+1 C(n+1,k+1) k+1 k 1 = --- ---------- [9] k+1 C(n+1,k+1) If we iterate [9] a few times, the following emerges: --- j C(m,j) k 1 > (-1) -------- = --- ---------- [10] --- C(n+j,k) k+m C(n+m,k+m) j We can prove [10] by induction. It is obviously true for m = 0: 1 k 1 ------ = - ------ C(n,k) k C(n,k) Suppose [10] is true for some m, then --- j C(m+1,j) > (-1) -------- --- C(n+j,k) j --- j C(m,j) C(m,j-1) = > (-1) ( -------- + -------- ) --- C(n+j,k) C(n+j,k) j --- j C(m,j) --- j C(m,j) = > (-1) -------- - > (-1) ---------- --- C(n+j,k) --- C(n+j+1,k) j j k 1 k 1 = --- ---------- - --- ------------ k+m C(n+m,k+m) k+m C(n+m+1,k+m) k k+m 1 = --- ----- -------------- k+m k+m+1 C(n+m+1,k+m+1) k 1 = ----- -------------- k+m+1 C(n+m+1,k+m+1) Thus, it is true for m+1. Therefore, [10] is true for all m >= 0.