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A008277 Triangle of Stirling numbers of the second kind, S2(n,k), n >= 1, 1 <= k <= n.

Original entry on oeis.org

1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1, 1, 7, 6, 1, 1, 15, 25, 10, 1, 1, 31, 90, 65, 15, 1, 1, 63, 301, 350, 140, 21, 1, 1, 127, 966, 1701, 1050, 266, 28, 1, 1, 255, 3025, 7770, 6951, 2646, 462, 36, 1, 1, 511, 9330, 34105, 42525, 22827, 5880, 750, 45, 1, 1, 1023, 28501, 145750, 246730, 179487, 63987, 11880, 1155, 55, 1
Offset: 1

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Author

N. J. A. Sloane

Keywords

Comments

Also known as Stirling set numbers and written {n, k}.
S2(n,k) counts partitions of an n-set into k nonempty subsets.
From Manfred Boergens, Apr 07 2025: (Start)
With regard to the preceding comment:
For disjoint collections of subsets see A256894.
For arbitrary collections of subsets see A163353.
For arbitrary collections of nonempty subsets see A055154. (End)
Triangle S2(n,k), 1 <= k <= n, read by rows, given by [0, 1, 0, 2, 0, 3, 0, 4, 0, 5, 0, 6, ...] DELTA [1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, ...] where DELTA is Deléham's operator defined in A084938.
Number of partitions of {1, ..., n+1} into k+1 nonempty subsets of nonconsecutive integers, including the partition 1|2|...|n+1 if n=k. E.g., S2(3,2)=3 since the number of partitions of {1,2,3,4} into three subsets of nonconsecutive integers is 3, i.e., 13|2|4, 14|2|3, 1|24|3. - Augustine O. Munagi, Mar 20 2005
Draw n cards (with replacement) from a deck of k cards. Let prob(n,k) be the probability that each card was drawn at least once. Then prob(n,k) = S2(n,k)*k!/k^n (see A090582). - Rainer Rosenthal, Oct 22 2005
Define f_1(x), f_2(x), ..., such that f_1(x)=e^x and for n = 2, 3, ..., f_{n+1}(x) = (d/dx)(x*f_n(x)). Then f_n(x) = e^x*Sum_{k=1..n} S2(n,k)*x^(k-1). - Milan Janjic, May 30 2008
From Peter Bala, Oct 03 2008: (Start)
For tables of restricted Stirling numbers of the second kind see A143494 - A143496.
S2(n,k) gives the number of 'patterns' of words of length n using k distinct symbols - see [Cooper & Kennedy] for an exact definition of the term 'pattern'. As an example, the words AADCBB and XXEGTT, both of length 6, have the same pattern of letters. The five patterns of words of length 3 are AAA, AAB, ABA, BAA and ABC giving row 3 of this table as (1,3,1).
Equivalently, S2(n,k) gives the number of sequences of positive integers (N_1,...,N_n) of length n, with k distinct entries, such that N_1 = 1 and N_(i+1) <= 1 + max{j = 1..i} N_j for i >= 1 (restricted growth functions). For example, Stirling(4,2) = 7 since the sequences of length 4 having 2 distinct entries that satisfy the conditions are (1,1,1,2), (1,1,2,1), (1,2,1,1), (1,1,2,2), (1,2,2,2), (1,2,2,1) and (1,2,1,2).
(End)
Number of combinations of subsets in the plane. - Mats Granvik, Jan 13 2009
S2(n+1,k+1) is the number of size k collections of pairwise disjoint, nonempty subsets of [n]. For example: S2(4,3)=6 because there are six such collections of subsets of [3] that have cardinality two: {(1)(23)},{(12)(3)}, {(13)(2)}, {(1)(2)}, {(1)(3)}, {(2)(3)}. - Geoffrey Critzer, Apr 06 2009
Consider a set of A000217(n) balls of n colors in which, for each integer k = 1 to n, exactly one color appears in the set a total of k times. (Each ball has exactly one color and is indistinguishable from other balls of the same color.) a(n+1, k+1) equals the number of ways to choose 0 or more balls of each color in such a way that exactly (n-k) colors are chosen at least once, and no two colors are chosen the same positive number of times. - Matthew Vandermast, Nov 22 2010
S2(n,k) is the number of monotonic-labeled forests on n vertices with exactly k rooted trees, each of height one or less. See link "Counting forests with Stirling and Bell numbers" below. - Dennis P. Walsh, Nov 16 2011
If D is the operator d/dx, and E the operator xd/dx, Stirling numbers are given by: E^n = Sum_{k=1..n} S2(n,k) * x^k*D^k. - Hyunwoo Jang, Dec 13 2011
The Stirling polynomials of the second kind (a.k.a. the Bell / Touchard polynomials) are the umbral compositional inverses of the falling factorials (a.k.a. the Pochhammer symbol or Stirling polynomials of the first kind), i.e., binomial(Bell(.,x),n) = x^n/n! (cf. Copeland's 2007 formulas), implying binomial(xD,n) = binomial(Bell(.,:xD:),n) = :xD:^n/n! where D = d/dx and :xD:^n = x^n*D^n. - Tom Copeland, Apr 17 2014
S2(n,k) is the number of ways to nest n matryoshkas (Russian nesting dolls) so that exactly k matryoshkas are not contained in any other matryoshka. - Carlo Sanna, Oct 17 2015
The row polynomials R(n, x) = Sum_{k=1..n} S2(n, k)*x^k appear in the numerator of the e.g.f. of n-th powers, E(n, x) = Sum_{m>=0} m^n*x^m/m!, as E(n, x) = exp(x)*x*R(n, x), for n >= 1. - Wolfdieter Lang, Apr 02 2017
With offsets 0 for n and k this is the Sheffer product matrix A007318*A048993 denoted by (exp(t), (exp(t) - 1)) with e.g.f. exp(t)*exp(x*(exp(t) - 1)). - Wolfdieter Lang, Jun 20 2017
Number of words on k+1 unlabeled letters of length n+1 with no repeated letters. - Thomas Anton, Mar 14 2019
Also coefficients of moments of Poisson distribution about the origin expressed as polynomials in lambda. [Haight] (see also A331155). - N. J. A. Sloane, Jan 14 2020
k!*S2(n,k) is the number of surjections from an n-element set to a k-element set. - Jianing Song, Jun 01 2022

Examples

			The triangle S2(n, k) begins:
\ k    1       2       3        4         5         6         7         8        9
n \   10      11      12       13        14        15       ...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1  |   1
2  |   1       1
3  |   1       3       1
4  |   1       7       6        1
5  |   1      15      25       10         1
6  |   1      31      90       65        15         1
7  |   1      63     301      350       140        21         1
8  |   1     127     966     1701      1050       266        28         1
9  |   1     255    3025     7770      6951      2646       462        36        1
10 |   1     511    9330    34105     42525     22827      5880       750       45
       1
11 |   1    1023   28501   145750    246730    179487     63987     11880     1155
      55       1
12 |   1    2047   86526   611501   1379400   1323652    627396    159027    22275
    1705      66       1
13 |   1    4095  261625  2532530   7508501   9321312   5715424   1899612   359502
   39325    2431      78        1
14 |   1    8191  788970 10391745  40075035  63436373  49329280  20912320  5135130
  752752   66066    3367       91         1
15 |   1   16383 2375101 42355950 210766920 420693273 408741333 216627840 67128490
12662650 1479478  106470     4550       105         1
...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
x^4 = 1 x_(1) + 7 x_(2) + 6 x_(3) + 1 x_(4), where x_(k) = P(x,k) = k!*C(x,k). - _Daniel Forgues_, Jan 16 2016

References

  • M. Abramowitz and I. A. Stegun, eds., Handbook of Mathematical Functions, National Bureau of Standards Applied Math. Series 55, 1964 (and various reprintings), p. 835.
  • A. T. Benjamin and J. J. Quinn, Proofs that really count: the art of combinatorial proof, M.A.A. 2003, p. 103ff.
  • B. A. Bondarenko, Generalized Pascal Triangles and Pyramids (in Russian), FAN, Tashkent, 1990, ISBN 5-648-00738-8.
  • G. Boole, Finite Differences, 5th ed. New York, NY: Chelsea, 1970.
  • C. A. Charalambides, Enumerative Combinatorics, Chapman & Hall/CRC, 2002, Theorem 8.11, pp. 298-299.
  • L. Comtet, Advanced Combinatorics, Reidel, 1974, p. 310.
  • J. H. Conway and R. K. Guy, The Book of Numbers, Springer, p. 92.
  • F. N. David, M. G. Kendall, and D. E. Barton, Symmetric Function and Allied Tables, Cambridge, 1966, p. 223.
  • S.N. Elaydi, An Introduction to Difference Equations, 3rd ed. Springer, 2005.
  • H. H. Goldstine, A History of Numerical Analysis, Springer-Verlag, 1977; Section 2.7.
  • R. L. Graham, D. E. Knuth, and O. Patashnik, Concrete Mathematics. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1990, p. 244.
  • Frank Avery Haight, Handbook of the Poisson distribution, John Wiley, 1967. See pages 6,7.
  • A. D. Korshunov, Asymptotic behavior of Stirling numbers of the second kind. (Russian) Metody Diskret. Analiz. No. 39 (1983), 24-41.
  • E. Kuz'min and A. I. Shirshov: On the number e, pp. 111-119, eq.(6), in: Kvant Selecta: Algebra and Analysis, I, ed. S. Tabachnikov, Am.Math.Soc., 1999, p. 116, eq. (11).
  • J. Riordan, An Introduction to Combinatorial Analysis, p. 48.
  • J. Stirling, The Differential Method, London, 1749; see p. 7.

Links

Crossrefs

Cf. A008275 (Stirling numbers of first kind), A048993 (another version of this triangle).
Cf. A000217, A001296, A001297, A001298, A007318, A028246, A039810-A039813, A048994, A087107-A087111, A087127, A094262, A127701.
See also A331155.
Cf. A038207, A086885, A132440, A138378, A173018, A238385.
Cf. A055154, A163353, A256894.
Cf. A000110 (row sums), A102661 (partial row sums).

Programs

  • Haskell
    a008277 n k = a008277_tabl !! (n-1) !! (k-1)
a008277_row n = a008277_tabl !! (n-1)
a008277_tabl = map tail $ a048993_tabl  -- Reinhard Zumkeller, Mar 26 2012
  • J
    n ((] (1 % !)) * +/@((^~ * (] (1 ^ |.)) * (! {:)@]) i.@>:)) k NB. _Stephen Makdisi, Apr 06 2016
  • Magma
    [[StirlingSecond(n,k): k in [1..n]]: n in [1..12]]; // G. C. Greubel, May 22 2019
  • Maple
    seq(seq(combinat[stirling2](n, k), k=1..n), n=1..10); # Zerinvary Lajos, Jun 02 2007
stirling_2 := (n,k) -> (1/k!) * add((-1)^(k-i)*binomial(k,i)*i^n, i=0..k);
  • Mathematica
    Table[StirlingS2[n, k], {n, 11}, {k, n}] // Flatten (* Robert G. Wilson v, May 23 2006 *)
BellMatrix[f_, len_] := With[{t = Array[f, len, 0]}, Table[BellY[n, k, t], {n, 0, len - 1}, {k, 0, len - 1}]];
rows = 12;
B = BellMatrix[1&, rows];
Table[B[[n, k]], {n, 2, rows}, {k, 2, n}] // Flatten (* Jean-François Alcover, Jun 28 2018, after Peter Luschny *)
a[n_, n_] := 1; a[n_, 1] := 1;
a[n_, k_] := a[n, k] = a[n-1, k-1] + k a[n-1, k]; Flatten@
Table[a[n, k], {n, 1, 11}, {k, 1, n}] (* Oliver Seipel, Jun 12 2024 *)
With[{m = 11},
 Flatten@MapIndexed[Take[#, #2[[1]]] &,
   Transpose@
    Table[Range[1, m]! Coefficient[(E^x-1)^k/k! + O[x]^(m+1), x,
Range[1, m]], {k, 1, m}]]] (* Oliver Seipel, Jun 12 2024 *)
  • Maxima
    create_list(stirling2(n+1,k+1),n,0,30,k,0,n); /* Emanuele Munarini, Jun 01 2012 */
  • PARI
    for(n=1,22,for(k=1,n,print1(stirling(n,k,2),", "));print()); \\ Joerg Arndt, Apr 21 2013
  • PARI
    Stirling2(n,k)=sum(i=0,k,(-1)^i*binomial(k,i)*i^n)*(-1)^k/k!  \\ M. F. Hasler, Mar 06 2012
  • Sage
    stirling_number2 # Danny Rorabaugh, Oct 11 2015

Formula

S2(n, k) = k*S2(n-1, k) + S2(n-1, k-1), n > 1. S2(1, k) = 0, k > 1. S2(1, 1) = 1.
E.g.f.: A(x, y) = e^(y*e^x-y). E.g.f. for m-th column: (e^x-1)^m/m!.
S2(n, k) = (1/k!) * Sum_{i=0..k} (-1)^(k-i)*binomial(k, i)*i^n.
Row sums: Bell number A000110(n) = Sum_{k=1..n} S2(n, k), n>0.
S(n, k) = Sum (i_1*i_2*...*i_(n-k)) summed over all (n-k)-combinations {i_1, i_2, ..., i_k} with repetitions of the numbers {1, 2, ..., k}. Also S(n, k) = Sum (1^(r_1)*2^(r_2)*...* k^(r_k)) summed over integers r_j >= 0, for j=1..k, with Sum{j=1..k} r_j = n-k. [Charalambides]. - Wolfdieter Lang, Aug 15 2019.
A019538(n, k) = k! * S2(n, k).
A028248(n, k) = (k-1)! * S2(n, k).
For asymptotics see Hsu (1948), among other sources.
Sum_{n>=0} S2(n, k)*x^n = x^k/((1-x)(1-2x)(1-3x)...(1-kx)).
Let P(n) = the number of integer partitions of n (A000041), p(i) = the number of parts of the i-th partition of n, d(i) = the number of distinct parts of the i-th partition of n, p(j, i) = the j-th part of the i-th partition of n, m(i, j) = multiplicity of the j-th part of the i-th partition of n, and Sum_{i=1..P(n), p(i)=m} = sum running from i=1 to i=P(n) but taking only partitions with p(i)=m parts into account. Then S2(n, m) = Sum_{i=1..P(n), p(i)=m} n!/(Product_{j=1..p(i)} p(i, j)!) * 1/(Product_{j=1..d(i)} m(i, j)!). For example, S2(6, 3) = 90 because n=6 has the following partitions with m=3 parts: (114), (123), (222). Their complexions are: (114): 6!/(1!*1!*4!) * 1/(2!*1!) = 15, (123): 6!/(1!*2!*3!) * 1/(1!*1!*1!) = 60, (222): 6!/(2!*2!*2!) * 1/(3!) = 15. The sum of the complexions is 15+60+15 = 90 = S2(6, 3). - Thomas Wieder, Jun 02 2005
Sum_{k=1..n} k*S2(n,k) = B(n+1)-B(n), where B(q) are the Bell numbers (A000110). - Emeric Deutsch, Nov 01 2006
Recurrence: S2(n+1,k) = Sum_{i=0..n} binomial(n,i)*S2(i,k-1). With the starting conditions S2(n,k) = 1 for n = 0 or k = 1 and S2(n,k) = 0 for k = 0 we have the closely related recurrence S2(n,k) = Sum_{i=k..n} binomial(n-1,i-1)*S2(i-1,k-1). - Thomas Wieder, Jan 27 2007
Representation of Stirling numbers of the second kind S2(n,k), n=1,2,..., k=1,2,...,n, as special values of hypergeometric function of type (n)F(n-1): S2(n,k)= (-1)^(k-1)*hypergeom([ -k+1,2,2,...,2],[1,1,...,1],1)/(k-1)!, i.e., having n parameters in the numerator: one equal to -k+1 and n-1 parameters all equal to 2; and having n-1 parameters in the denominator all equal to 1 and the value of the argument equal to 1. Example: S2(6,k)= seq(evalf((-1)^(k-1)*hypergeom([ -k+1,2,2,2,2,2],[1,1,1,1,1],1)/(k-1)!),k=1..6)=1,31,90,65,15,1. - Karol A. Penson, Mar 28 2007
From Tom Copeland, Oct 10 2007: (Start)
Bell_n(x) = Sum_{j=0..n} S2(n,j) * x^j = Sum_{j=0..n} E(n,j) * Lag(n,-x, j-n) = Sum_{j=0..n} (E(n,j)/n!) * (n!*Lag(n,-x, j-n)) = Sum_{j=0..n} E(n,j) * binomial(Bell.(x)+j, n) umbrally where Bell_n(x) are the Bell / Touchard / exponential polynomials; S2(n,j), the Stirling numbers of the second kind; E(n,j), the Eulerian numbers; and Lag(n,x,m), the associated Laguerre polynomials of order m.
For x = 0, the equation gives Sum_{j=0..n} E(n,j) * binomial(j,n) = 1 for n=0 and 0 for all other n. By substituting the umbral compositional inverse of the Bell polynomials, the lower factorial n!*binomial(y,n), for x in the equation, the Worpitzky identity is obtained; y^n = Sum_{j=0..n} E(n,j) * binomial(y+j,n).
Note that E(n,j)/n! = E(n,j)/(Sum_{k=0..n}E(n,k)). Also (n!*Lag(n, -1, j-n)) is A086885 with a simple combinatorial interpretation in terms of seating arrangements, giving a combinatorial interpretation to the equation for x=1; n!*Bell_n(1) = n!*Sum_{j=0..n} S2(n,j) = Sum_{j=0..n} E(n,j) * (n!*Lag(n, -1, j-n)).
(Appended Sep 16 2020) For connections to the Bernoulli numbers, extensions, proofs, and a clear presentation of the number arrays involved in the identities above, see my post Reciprocity and Umbral Witchcraft. (End)
n-th row = leftmost column of nonzero terms of A127701^(n-1). Also, (n+1)-th row of the triangle = A127701 * n-th row; deleting the zeros. Example: A127701 * [1, 3, 1, 0, 0, 0, ...] = [1, 7, 6, 1, 0, 0, 0, ...]. - Gary W. Adamson, Nov 21 2007
The row polynomials are given by D^n(e^(x*t)) evaluated at x = 0, where D is the operator (1+x)*d/dx. Cf. A147315 and A094198. See also A185422. - Peter Bala, Nov 25 2011
Let f(x) = e^(e^x). Then for n >= 1, 1/f(x)*(d/dx)^n(f(x)) = 1/f(x)*(d/dx)^(n-1)(e^x*f(x)) = Sum_{k=1..n} S2(n,k)*e^(k*x). Similar formulas hold for A039755, A105794, A111577, A143494 and A154537. - Peter Bala, Mar 01 2012
S2(n,k) = A048993(n,k), 1 <= k <= n. - Reinhard Zumkeller, Mar 26 2012
O.g.f. for the n-th diagonal is D^n(x), where D is the operator x/(1-x)*d/dx. - Peter Bala, Jul 02 2012
n*i!*S2(n-1,i) = Sum_{j=(i+1)..n} (-1)^(j-i+1)*j!/(j-i)*S2(n,j). - Leonid Bedratyuk, Aug 19 2012
G.f.: (1/Q(0)-1)/(x*y), where Q(k) = 1 - (y+k)*x - (k+1)*y*x^2/Q(k+1); (continued fraction). - Sergei N. Gladkovskii, Nov 09 2013
From Tom Copeland, Apr 17 2014: (Start)
Multiply each n-th diagonal of the Pascal lower triangular matrix by x^n and designate the result as A007318(x) = P(x).
With Bell(n,x)=B(n,x) defined above, D = d/dx, and :xD:^n = x^n*D^n, a Dobinski formula gives umbrally f(y)^B(.,x) = e^(-x)*e^(f(y)*x). Then f(y)^B(.,:xD:)g(x) = [f(y)^(xD)]g(x) = e^[-(1-f(y)):xD:]g(x) = g[f(y)x].
In particular, for f(y) = (1+y),
A) (1+y)^B(.,x) = e^(-x)*e^((1+y)*x) = e^(x*y) = e^[log(1+y)B(.,x)],
B) (I+dP)^B(.,x) = e^(x*dP) = P(x) = e^[x*(e^M-I)]= e^[M*B(.,x)] with dP = A132440, M = A238385-I = log(I+dP), and I = identity matrix, and
C) (1+dP)^(xD) = e^(dP:xD:) = P(:xD:) = e^[(e^M-I):xD:] = e^[M*xD] with action e^(dP:xD:)g(x) = g[(I+dP)*x].
D) P(x)^m = P(m*x), which implies (Sum_{k=1..m} a_k)^j = B(j,m*x) where the sum is umbrally evaluated only after exponentiation with (a_k)^q = B(.,x)^q = B(q,x). E.g., (a1+a2+a3)^2=a1^2+a2^2+a3^2+2(a1*a2+a1*a3+a2*a3) = 3*B(2,x)+6*B(1,x)^2 = 9x^2+3x = B(2,3x).
E) P(x)^2 = P(2x) = e^[M*B(.,2x)] = A038207(x), the face vectors of the n-Dim hypercubes.
(End)
As a matrix equivalent of some inversions mentioned above, A008277*A008275 = I, the identity matrix, regarded as lower triangular matrices. - Tom Copeland, Apr 26 2014
O.g.f. for the n-th diagonal of the triangle (n = 0,1,2,...): Sum_{k>=0} k^(k+n)*(x*e^(-x))^k/k!. Cf. the generating functions of the diagonals of A039755. Also cf. A112492. - Peter Bala, Jun 22 2014
Floor(1/(-1 + Sum_{n>=k} 1/S2(n,k))) = A034856(k-1), for k>=2. The fractional portion goes to zero at large k. - Richard R. Forberg, Jan 17 2015
From Daniel Forgues, Jan 16 2016: (Start)
Let x_(n), called a factorial term (Boole, 1970) or a factorial polynomial (Elaydi, 2005: p. 60), denote the falling factorial Product_{k=0..n-1} (x-k). Then, for n >= 1, x_(n) = Sum_{k=1..n} A008275(n,k) * x^k, x^n = Sum_{k=1..n} T(n,k) * x_(k), where A008275(n,k) are Stirling numbers of the first kind.
For n >= 1, the row sums yield the exponential numbers (or Bell numbers): Sum_{k=1..n} T(n,k) = A000110(n), and Sum_{k=1..n} (-1)^(n+k) * T(n,k) = (-1)^n * Sum_{k=1..n} (-1)^k * T(n,k) = (-1)^n * A000587(n), where A000587 are the complementary Bell numbers. (End)
Sum_{k=1..n} k*S2(n,k) = A138378(n). - Alois P. Heinz, Jan 07 2022
O.g.f. for the m-th column: x^m/(Product_{j=1..m} 1-j*x). - Daniel Checa, Aug 25 2022
S2(n,k) ~ (k^n)/k!, for fixed k as n->oo. - Daniel Checa, Nov 08 2022
S2(2n+k, n) ~ (2^(2n+k-1/2) * n^(n+k-1/2)) / (sqrt(Pi*(1-c)) * exp(n) * c^n * (2-c)^(n+k)), where c = -LambertW(-2 * exp(-2)). - Miko Labalan, Dec 21 2024
From Mikhail Kurkov, Mar 05 2025: (Start)
For a general proof of the formulas below via generating functions, see Mathematics Stack Exchange link.
Recursion for the n-th row (independently of other rows): T(n,k) = 1/(n-k)*Sum_{j=2..n-k+1} (j-2)!*binomial(-k,j)*T(n,k+j-1) for 1 <= k < n with T(n,n) = 1 (see Fedor Petrov link).
Recursion for the k-th column (independently of other columns): T(n,k) = 1/(n-k)*Sum_{j=2..n-k+1} binomial(n,j)*T(n-j+1,k)*(-1)^j for 1 <= k < n with T(n,n) = 1. (End)

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