A142983 a(1) = 1, a(2) = 2, a(n+2) = 2*a(n+1) + (n + 1)*(n + 2)*a(n).

1, 2, 10, 44, 288, 1896, 15888, 137952, 1419840, 15255360, 186693120, 2387093760, 33898314240, 502247692800, 8123141376000, 136785729024000, 2483065912320000, 46822564905984000, 942853671825408000, 19678282007924736000, 435355106182520832000

Offset

1,2

Comments

This is the case m = 1 of the general recurrence a(1) = 1, a(2) = 2*m, a(n+2) = 2*m*a(n+1) + (n + 1)*(n + 2)*a(n) (we suppress the dependence of a(n) on m), which arises when accelerating the convergence of the series 1/2 + 1/2*Sum_{k > 1} (-1)^(k+1)/(k*(k + 1)) = log(2). For other cases see A142984 (m = 2), A142985 (m = 3), A142986 (m = 4) and A142987 (m = 5).

The solution to the general recurrence may be expressed as a sum: a(n) = n!*p_m(n+1)*Sum_{k = 1..n} (-1)^(k+1)/(p_m(k)*p_m(k+1)), where p_m(x) = Sum_{k = 1..m} 2^(k-1)*C(m-1,k-1)*C(x,k) is the polynomial that gives the regular polytope numbers for the m-dimensional cross polytope as defined by [Kim] (see A142978). The first few values are p_1(x) = x, p_2(x) = x^2, p_3(x) = (2*x^3 + x)/3 and p_4(x) = (x^4 + 2*x^2)/3.

The polynomial p_m(x) is the unique polynomial solution of the difference equation x*(f(x+1) - f(x-1)) = 2*m*f(x), normalized so that f(1) = 1.

The o.g.f. for the p_m(x) is 1/2*((1 + t)/(1 - t))^x = 1/2 + x*t + x^2*t^2 + (2*x^3 + x)/3*t^3 + .... Thus p_m(x) is, apart from a constant factor, the Meixner polynomial of the first kind M_m(x;b,c) at b = 0, c = -1, also known as a Mittag-Leffler polynomial.

The general recurrence in the first paragraph above has a second solution b(n) = n!*p_m(n+1) with b(1) = 2*m, b(2) = m^2 + 2. Hence the behavior of a(n) for large n is given by Limit_{n-> oo} a(n)/b(n) = Sum_{k >= 1} (-1)^(k+1)/(p_m(k)*p_m(k+1)) = 1/((2*m) + 1*2/((2*m) + 2*3/((2*m) + 3*4/((2*m) + ... + n*(n + 1)/((2*m) + ...))))) = 1 + (-1)^(m+1) * (2*m)*(log(2) - (1 - 1/2 + 1/3 - ... + (-1)^(m+1)/m)), where the final equality follows by a result of Ramanujan (see [Berndt, Chapter 12, Entry 32(i)]).

See A142979, A142988 and A142992 for similar results. For corresponding results for Napier's constant e, the constant zeta(2) and Apery's constant zeta(3) refer to A000522, A142995 and A143003, respectively.

References

Bruce C. Berndt, Ramanujan's Notebooks Part II, Springer-Verlag.

Links

Vincenzo Librandi, Table of n, a(n) for n = 1..200

Hyun Kwang Kim, On Regular Polytope Numbers, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc., 131 (2002), 65-75.

Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, Meixner polynomial of the first kind.

Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, Mittag-Leffler polynomial.

Formula

a(n) = n!*p(n+1)*Sum_{k = 1..n} (-1)^(k+1)/(p(k)*p(k+1)), where p(n) = n.

Recurrence: a(1) = 1, a(2) = 2, a(n+2) = 2*a(n+1) + (n + 1)*(n + 2)*a(n).

The sequence b(n) := n!*p(n+1) satisfies the same recurrence with b(1) = 2 and b(2) = 6.

Hence we obtain the finite continued fraction expansion a(n)/b(n) = 1/(2 + 1*2/(2 + 2*3/(2 + 3*4/(2 + ... + (n - 1)*n/2)))), for n >= 2.

The behavior of a(n) for large n is given by Limit_{n -> oo} a(n)/b(n) = 1/(2 + 1*2/(2 + 2*3/(2 + 3*4/(2 + ... + n*(n+1)/(2 + ...))))) = Sum_{k >= 1} (-1)^(k+1)/(k*(k + 1)) = 2*log(2) - 1.

E.g.f.: (2*log(x+1)-x)/(x-1)^2. - Vaclav Kotesovec, Oct 21 2012

Maple

a := n -> (n+1)!*sum ((-1)^(k+1)/(k*(k+1)), k = 1..n): seq(a(n), n = 1..20);

Mathematica

Rest[CoefficientList[Series[(-x+2*Log[x+1])/(x-1)^2, {x, 0, 20}], x]*Range[0, 20]!] (* Vaclav Kotesovec, Oct 21 2012 *)

Prog

(Haskell)
a142983 n = a142983_list !! (n-1)
a142983_list = 1 : 2 : zipWith (+)
                       (map (* 2) $ tail a142983_list)
                       (zipWith (*) (drop 2 a002378_list) a142983_list)
-- Reinhard Zumkeller, Jul 17 2015

Crossrefs

Cf. A000522, A142979, A142984, A142985, A142986, A142987, A142988, A142992.

Cf. A002378.

Sequence in context: A151313 A144896 A359526 * A227852 A347524 A065805

Adjacent sequences: A142980 A142981 A142982 * A142984 A142985 A142986

Keyword

easy,nonn

Author

Peter Bala, Jul 17 2008

Status

approved