Why is ##^{2m}C_m## equivalent to ##\dfrac{2m!}{m!m!}##?

  • #1
RChristenk
49
4
Homework Statement
Why is ##^{2m}C_m## equivalent to ##\dfrac{2m!}{m!m!}##?
Relevant Equations
Elementary combination principles
By definition, ##^nC_r=\dfrac{n(n-1)(n-2)...(n-r+1)}{r!}##. This can be simplified to ##^nC_r=\dfrac{n!}{r!(n-r)!}##, which leads to ##^{2m}C_m=\dfrac{2m!}{m!m!}##.

But I can't see how from the original equation ##^{2m}C_m=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)}{m!}## is equivalent to ##\dfrac{2m!}{m!m!}##.
 
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  • #2
What do you mean? Your formula is incorrect. It has to be ##(2m)!## and not ##2m!##
\begin{align*}
^{2m}C_m&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)}{m!}\\&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)\cdot m}{m!\cdot m}\\
&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)\cdot m\cdot (m-1)}{m!\cdot m\cdot (m-1)}\\
&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-2)}{m!\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-2)}\\
&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-3)\cdot (m-3)}{m!\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-3)\cdot (m-3)}\\
&\vdots \\
&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-3)\cdot (m-3)\cdots 2\cdot 1}{m!\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-3)\cdot (m-3)\cdots 2\cdot 1}\\
&=\dfrac{(2m)!}{m!m!}
\end{align*}
 
  • #3
fresh_42 said:
What do you mean? Your formula is incorrect. It has to be (2m)! and not 2m!
I'm pretty sure that (2m)! is what this poster meant, but wrote incorrectly as 2m!.
RChristenk said:
By definition, ##^nC_r=\dfrac{n(n-1)(n-2)...(n-r+1)}{r!}##. This can be simplified to ##^nC_r=\dfrac{n!}{r!(n-r)!}##, which leads to ##^{2m}C_m=\dfrac{2m!}{m!m!}##.

But I can't see how from the original equation ##^{2m}C_m=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)}{m!}## is equivalent to ##\dfrac{2m!}{m!m!}##.
Multiply numerator and denominator by m!.
 
  • #4
fresh_42 said:
What do you mean? Your formula is incorrect. It has to be ##(2m)!## and not ##2m!##
\begin{align*}
^{2m}C_m&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)}{m!}\\&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)\cdot m}{m!\cdot m}\\
&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)\cdot m\cdot (m-1)}{m!\cdot m\cdot (m-1)}\\
&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-2)}{m!\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-2)}\\
&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-3)\cdot (m-3)}{m!\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-3)\cdot (m-3)}\\
&\vdots \\
&=\dfrac{(2m)(2m-1)(2m-2)...(m+1)\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-3)\cdot (m-3)\cdots 2\cdot 1}{m!\cdot m\cdot (m-1)\cdot (m-3)\cdot (m-3)\cdots 2\cdot 1}\\
&=\dfrac{(2m)!}{m!m!}
\end{align*}
Yes you are correct I should've wrote ##(2m)!##. Thanks for your answer!
 
  • #5
RChristenk said:
Yes you are correct I should've wrote ##(2m)!##. Thanks for your answer!
You should've written!
 
  • #6
martinbn said:
You should've written!
I'm sorry I didn't write ##(2m)!##. I will in the future do my earnest to double-check my work in the future. Please don't take offense at my negligence.
 
  • #7
RChristenk said:
I'm sorry I didn't write ##(2m)!##. I will in the future do my earnest to double-check my work in the future. Please don't take offense at my negligence.
You misuderstood. I was pedantic about "I should've wrote".
 
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