Generalized j-Factorial Functions, Polynomials, and Applications
Maxie D. Schmidt 
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, IL  61801
USA
Abstract:
The paper generalizes the traditional single factorial function to 
integer-valued multiple factorial (j-factorial) forms. The 
generalized factorial functions are defined recursively as triangles of 
coefficients corresponding to the polynomial expansions of a subset of 
degenerate falling factorial functions. The 
resulting coefficient triangles are similar to the classical sets of 
Stirling numbers and satisfy many analogous finite-difference 
and enumerative properties as the well-known combinatorial triangles. The 
generalized triangles are also 
considered in terms of their relation to elementary symmetric polynomials and 
the resulting symmetric polynomial index transformations. 
The definition of the Stirling convolution polynomial sequence is 
generalized in order to enumerate the 
parametrized sets of j-factorial polynomials and 
to derive extended properties of the j-factorial function expansions. 
The generalized j-factorial polynomial sequences considered lead to 
applications expressing key forms of the j-factorial functions in 
terms of arbitrary partitions of the j-factorial function expansion triangle 
indices, including several identities related to the 
polynomial expansions of binomial coefficients. Additional 
applications include the formulation of closed-form identities and 
generating functions for the Stirling numbers of the first kind and 
r-order harmonic number sequences, 
as well as an extension of Stirling's approximation for the 
single factorial function to approximate the more general 
j-factorial function forms. 
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(Concerned with sequences
A000079
A000108
A000110
A000142
A000165
A000254
A000367
A000392
A000399
A000407
A000454
A000984
A001008
A001147
A001296
A001297
A001298
A001620
A001813
A002445
A002805
A006882
A007318
A007406
A007407
A007408
A007409
A007559
A007661
A007662
A007696
A008275
A008276
A008277
A008278
A008292
A008297
A008517
A008542
A008543
A008544
A008545
A008546
A008548
A008585
A027641
A027642
A032031
A034176
A045754
A045755
A047053
A048993
A048994
A052562
A066094
A080417
A081051
A094638
A098777
A111593
A130534
A154959.)
Received July 21 2009;
revised version received June 19 2010.
Published in Journal of Integer Sequences, June 21 2010.
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