We are tasked with evaluating the sum:
S=40C0+41C1+42C2+⋯+60C20
At first glance, this series appears complex. However, we can simplify it by utilizing the fundamental symmetry property of binomial coefficients:
nCr=nCn−r
By applying this identity to every term in the series, we transform the expression into a more manageable form:
S=40C40+41C40+42C40+⋯+60C40
Notice that the lower index is now constant. This structure is the classic setup for the Hockey-stick identity.
The Hockey-stick identity states that:
i=k∑niCk=n+1Ck+1
In our specific case, we have
k=40 and
n=60. Substituting these values into the identity, the sum simplifies to:
S=61C41
To express this in terms of the requested format, we use the property:
nCr=rnn−1Cr−1
Applying this to our result, we obtain:
S=416160C40
Since
60C40=60C20, our sum is equivalent to:
S=416160C20