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Exercise 1555Combinatorics › Binomial coefficientsL1Added 3 Nov 2026

Sum with $k^2\binom{n}{k}$

#weighted sum#square#binomial

Statement

Compute ∑k=0nk2(nk)\sum_{k=0}^{n}k^2\binom{n}{k}.

Hint

Differentiate twice.

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Solution

Formula. ∑kk2(nk)=n(n+1)2n−2\sum_k k^2\binom{n}{k}=n(n+1)2^{n-2}.

See "Weighted power sum" in this category for the proof.

Conclusion. ∑kk2(nk)=n(n+1)2n−2\sum_k k^2\binom{n}{k}=n(n+1)2^{n-2}.