Exercise · ZW-STIRLING-NUMBER-OF-THE-FIRST-KIND-007 · ★★☆ Intermediate

With \(c(4,2)=11\) and \(c(4,1)=6\), use \(c(n,k)=(n-1)c(n-1,k)+c(n-1,k-1)\) to find \(c(5,2)\).

Choose one option.

Show answer
  • A. 50

Explanation

With \(n=5\) and \(k=2\): \(4\cdot 11+6=50\). Swapping the coefficients gives 35, and dropping the second term gives 44.

Study Enumerative combinatorics in ZWMath →

Review the concept: Stirling number of the first kind

The Stirling number of the first kind \(c(n,k)\) counts the permutations of \(n\) elements that have exactly \(k\) cycles.

\[x(x+1)\cdots(x+n-1)=\sum_{k=0}^{n} c(n,k)\,x^{k}\]

More practice problems: stirling number of the first kind

← ZW-STIRLING-NUMBER-OF-THE-FIRST-KIND-006 ZW-STIRLING-NUMBER-OF-THE-FIRST-KIND-008 →