Definition:Stirling Numbers/Historical Note
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Historical Note on Stirling Numbers
This formula for the Stirling numbers of the second kind:
- $\ds x^n = \sum_k {n \brace k} x^{\underline k}$
was the reason James Stirling started his studies of the Stirling numbers in the first place.
They were studied in detail in his Methodus Differentialis of $1730$.
Sources
- 1997: Donald E. Knuth: The Art of Computer Programming: Volume 1: Fundamental Algorithms (3rd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 1.2.6$: Binomial Coefficients: $(45)$