Since there are two formulas for combination $$\binom{n}{k}={{n(n-1)...(n-k+1) }\over k!}$$ $$\binom{n}{k}= {n!\over k!(n-k)!}\ $$ Then my question is:
How do I expand when $n=-1$ using second formula?
Since there are two formulas for combination $$\binom{n}{k}={{n(n-1)...(n-k+1) }\over k!}$$ $$\binom{n}{k}= {n!\over k!(n-k)!}\ $$ Then my question is:
How do I expand when $n=-1$ using second formula?
When $n<0$ (or for any arbitrary $\alpha$, real or even complex), we instead have ${n\choose k}=\frac{\alpha(\alpha-1)(\alpha-2)...(\alpha-k+1)}{k!}$. (Note that $k$ must still be a nonnegative integer.) Hence, the second formula really only works when $n$ is also a nonnegative integer, and the first formula works in general.
One defines it via limits and the Gamma function:
$$\binom{-1}k=\lim_{n\to-1}\frac{\Gamma(1+n)}{k!\Gamma(1+n-k)}=\frac{(-1)^{k+1}}{(k!)^2}$$