The Gaps Between Consecutive Binomial Coefficients

Author(s): Zun Shan and Edward T. H. Wang

Source: Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 63, No. 2 (Apr., 1990), pp. 122-124
Published by: Mathematical Association of America
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2691072
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122 MATHEMATICS MAGAZINE

The Gaps Between Consecutive

BinomialCoefficients
ZUN SHAN
Chinese Universityof Science and Technology
Hefei,Anhui,China

EDWARD T. H. WANG
WilfridLaurierUniversity
Waterloo, Ontario,Canada N2L 3C5

Among all combinatorialquantities,the binomialcoefficients are unique. They are

simple in concept and derivation,yet theyappear in almostall the combinatorial
identitiesand seem to give rise to an endlessvarietyof problems.In thisnote we
investigateone such problemwhicnwe believeto be new. Put in a simpleway,the
problemis to determinethesmallestand largest"gaps" betweenconsecutivebinomial
in any rowofPascal's triangle.More precisely,
coefficients forpositiveintegersn and
k withn _ 2 and 1 _ k< n, we define
- 1
dk(n) (kk k-1

and we let d ,(n) = minl, k_ dk(n), and dM(n) = maxl < k dk(n). Our purposeis
to solve the followingproblems:
P1. Determined7m(n)and all k suchthatdk(n) = djm(n).
P2. DeterminedM(n) and all k suchthatdk(n) = dM(n).
We startout withP1, whichis theeasierone. Due to symmetry,
it clearlysuffices
to
considerdk(n) for1 ? k ? [(n + 1)/2]. Since

{ni z n 0 n!(n-2k+1) 0
Vk Vk- 1 k!(n - k+ 1)!

if and only if n - 2k + 1 = 0, we see that dm(n) = 0 if and only if n is odd and

dk(n) = 0 if and onlyif k = (n + 1)/2. When n is even we shallshowthatd7,(n) =
n - 1 except when n = 4 in which case direct inspection reveals that d,,,(4) = 2. In
fact,we shall show thatin generalif we definedm(n) = min{dk(n)1 ? k _ n, k +
(n + 1)/2} (so thatthe aforementioned trivialfactthat dm(n) = 0 when n is odd is
excluded), then d m(n) = n - 1 holds for all n 0 4.
THEOREM 1. For all n > 2, exceptwhen n = 4, d' (n) = n - 1. Furthermore, if
n* 6, thendk(n) = n-1 if and onlyif k = 1 or n, and if n = 6, thendk(6) = 5 if
and onlyif k = 1, 3, 4, or 6.
Proof.Since thecases whenn ? 6 can be verifieddirectlyby inspection, we assume
that n > 6 and use induction.Examiningthe appropriaterows in Pascal's triangle
revealsthatthe theoremholdsforn = 7 and 8. Due to symmetry and the factthat
dl(n) = dj(n) = n - 1 we need only to show that dk(n) > n - 1 for all k such that
2 ? k ? [n/2] wheren ? 9. By Pascal's identity,
we have:

(k) (k- 1) (( 1) + (k- 1+ k- (ik-)}

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VOL. 63, NO. 2, APRIL 1990 123

((k (-k 1) (k - 1) (k-2)(1

we have
If n is odd, thenby theinductionhypothesis,

(nk ) (nk_I) >n2 and n 1 - n-2)-n-2.

Hence from(1) we obtain

= (n -1) + (n -3) > n -1.

(k) ~
(k1 ~~ 2(n -2) (2)

If n is even thenthe above argumentstillholdsexceptwhen k = [n/2] in which

case
(n-1 _ n-1=

By a second applicationof Pascal's identitywe obtainfrom(1)

(n) n ) n- 1) - (n- 1)
k k- ((k- 1 (k3)23 -
(k-2)+(k2
+ ~~~~~~~(3)

Since n - 2 is even we have,by the inductionhypothesis,

(kn-2 -n-(k_2 >n-3 and n-2 - n > n-3.

Hence from(3), we obtain

> -3) = (n -1) + (n -S) > n- 1. (4)

(k)-(k- 1_2(n

By (2) and (4) our proofis complete.

Now we turnto P2 the answerof whichis somewhatless obviousthanthatof P1.
The completeanswerto thisproblemis containedin the next
THEOREM 2. Let T=(l/2)(n + 2- n2). Then

dM(n) = ( -[T ([T]n )

dk(n) = dM(n) if and onlyif
Furthermore,

T
k= [T] or n-[T] + 1 if' ;
T- 1, Or,n-T T 1 or n-T ?+2 if T E ;
where Z denotestheset of integers.
we mayagainassumethatk ? [n/2]. Directcomputations
Proof.Due to symmetry
show that

weke k-1 k-1 k-2 k!(n-k+2)!

where

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124 MATHEMATICS MAGAZINE

a = (n - k + 2)(n - 2k + 1) - k(n - 2k + 3)
= (n-2k+ 1)(n-2k+2) -2k
= (2k)2 - (2n + 4)(2k) + (n + 1)(n + 2)
= {2k- (n+2)}2- (n+2)
= {2k-(n+2) + {n?2 2k-(n+2)- n?2}
=4(k-T){k- (n+2?+ n) ,

where T =(l/2)(n + 2- n2). Since k ? [n/2] < (1/2)(n +2+ n+ 2) we con-

clude that

(k) (k- 1)-k-1) (k-2)

if and onlyif k _ T withequalityholdingif and onlyif T E 7Z.The statementof our
theoremnow followsimmediately.
To illustrateTheorem2, we consideran example.
Example. When n = 13, T= '(15 - V) Z and [T] = 5. Thus thelargestgap in
the13throwofPascal'striangle
occurstwice:oncebetween(13) and (13), and the
otherbetween (8 and ( ). These gaps have absolutevalue 13 )- 143 )1287 -
715 = 572. When n = 14, X = 6 e Z. Thus thelargestgaps in the 14throwof Pascal's
triangleoccur fourtimes:between(14) and ('14); (1s4) and ('14); (184) and (14 ); and
between(14
\9;
and 1(101 . The absolute value ofthesegaps is (14
5
) (14
\4
= 2002- 1001
= 1001.
Theorem2 also indicatesan interesting
factregardingconsecutivebinomialcoeffi-
cientswhichforman arithmetic It is well known[1, p. 54] thatno four
progression.
consecutivebinomialcoefficientscan forman arithmetic progression.Our resultin
TheQrem2 implies that there are infinitelymany triplesof consecutivebinomial
coefficients
whichforman arithmetic progression. In fact,we have:
COROLLARY. If n > 2 such thatn + 2 is a perfectsquare, then(n2) (n n) and
(n) forman arithmetic progression =
where T (1/2)(n + 2 - n . Furthermore,
thecommondifference of thisarithmetic
progression yieldsthe largestgap in thenth
rowof Pascal's triangle.
In closing,we pointout thatif,in the lefthalfof each rowin Pascal's triangle,we
use a dot to representthe largerone of the binomialcoefficients
whenevera largest
gap occurs and connectthe dots in consecutiverows withline segments,then we
would obtain a chain which has some kind of zigzag patternand which has a
"diamond" whenevern > 2 is such that n + 2 is a perfectsquare.We leave it to the
readersto do the actualdrawing.
Acknowledgement. Thisarticle
waswritten
whilethefirst
authorwasvisiting
Wilfrid
Laurier
University,
July1987-April ofWLU is greatly
1988.Thehospitality Thisresearch
appreciated. bythe
wassupported
NaturalSciencesandEngineeringResearch
CouncilofCanadaundergrantA9121.

REFEREN C E

1. Daniel I. A. Cohen, Basic Techniquesin Combinatorial

Theory,JohnWiley& Sons, New York,1978.

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