Definition:Stirling Numbers of the First Kind/Signed/Definition 1

Definition

Signed Stirling numbers of the first kind are defined recursively by:

$\map s {n, k} := \begin{cases}

\delta_{n k} & : k = 0 \text{ or } n = 0 \\ \map s {n - 1, k - 1} - \paren {n - 1} \map s {n - 1, k} & : \text{otherwise} \\ \end{cases}$

where:

$\delta_{n k}$ is the Kronecker delta

$n$ and $k$ are non-negative integers.

Notation

The notation $\ds {n \brack k}$ for the unsigned Stirling numbers of the first kind is that proposed by Jovan Karamata and publicised by Donald E. Knuth.

The notation $\map s {n, k}$ for the signed Stirling numbers of the first kind is similar to variants of that sometimes given for the unsigned.

Usage is inconsistent in the literature.

Also see

• Equivalence of Definitions of Unsigned Stirling Numbers of the First Kind
• Equivalence of Definitions of Signed Stirling Numbers of the First Kind

• Definition:Stirling's Triangles

• Definition:Stirling Numbers of the Second Kind

Source of Name

This entry was named for James Stirling.