Bound on binomial coefficient

Dependencies:

  1. Binomial Coefficient
  2. Stirling's approximation (incomplete)

For $0 < k \le n$, \[ \left(\frac{n}{k}\right)^k ≤ \binom{n}{k} ≤ \left(\frac{ne}{k}\right)^k \]

Proof

\[ \frac{n-i}{k-i} = \frac{(n-k)+(k-i)}{k-i} = 1 + \frac{n-k}{k-i} \ge 1 + \frac{n-k}{k} = \frac{n}{k} \] \[ \binom{n}{k} = \prod_{i=0}^{k-1} \frac{n-i}{k-i} \ge \prod_{i=0}^{k-1} \frac{n}{k} = \left(\frac{n}{k}\right)^k \]

By Stirling's approximation, \[ e^kk! \ge \sqrt{2\pi k}k^k \ge k^k \] \[ \binom{n}{k} \le \frac{n^k}{k!} \le \left(\frac{ne}{k}\right)^k \]

Dependency for: None

Info:

Transitive dependencies:

  1. Binomial Coefficient
  2. Stirling's approximation (incomplete)