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Exercise 1526Combinatorics › Binomial coefficientsOlympiadAdded 3 Nov 2026

Binomial coefficient inverses

#inverse#binomial#sum

Statement

Compute ∑k=0n(−1)k(nk)\sum_{k=0}^{n}\frac{(-1)^k}{\binom{n}{k}} for n=2n=2.

Hint

Direct computation.

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Solution

Compute. n=2n=2: 11−12+11=1.5\frac{1}{1}-\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{1}=1.5.

Conclusion. For n=2n=2, the sum is 3/23/2.

General. ∑k=0n(−1)k(nk)=(−1)n⋅n+1n+1⋅1?\sum_{k=0}^{n}\frac{(-1)^k}{\binom{n}{k}}=\frac{(-1)^n\cdot n+1}{n+1}\cdot\frac{1}{?} — the general formula is more complex.