NOTE & BLOG

Theorem

Let $n, p \in \mathbb{Z}_{>0}$ be (strictly) positive integers.

Then:

$$\sum_{k = 1}^n k^p = \frac{1}{p + 1} \sum_{i = 0}^p (-1)^i \binom{p + 1}{i} B_i n^{p + 1 - i} \\ = \frac{n^{p + 1}}{p + 1} - \frac{B_1 \cdot n^p}{1!} + \frac{B_2 \cdot p \cdot n^{p - 1}}{2!} + \frac{B_4 \cdot p \cdot (p - 1) \cdot (p - 2) \cdot n^{p - 3}}{4!} + \cdots$$

where:

• $B_i$ denotes the $i$th Bernoulli number.

Proof

Let $x \ge 0$.

$$\sum_{k = 0}^{n - 1} e^{k x} = \sum_{k = 0}^{n - 1} \sum_{p = 0}^\infty \frac{(k x)^p}{p!}$$ $$= \sum_{p = 0}^\infty \left(\sum_{k = 0}^{n - 1} k^p\right) \frac{x^p}{p!}$$

We also have:

$$\sum_{k = 0}^{n - 1} e^{k x} = \frac{1 - e^{n x}}{1 - e^x}$$

Sum of Geometric Sequence

$$= \frac{e^{n x} - 1}{x} \frac{x}{e^x - 1}$$

multiplying numerator and denominator by $x$

$$= \frac{1}{x} \left(\sum_{p = 0}^\infty \frac{(n x)^p}{p!} - 1\right) \sum_{p = 0}^\infty \frac{B_p x^p}{p!}$$

Definition of Bernoulli Numbers and Power Series Expansion for Exponential Function

$$= \frac{1}{x} \left(\sum_{p = 1}^\infty \frac{(n x)^p}{p!}\right) \sum_{p = 0}^\infty \frac{B_p x^p}{p!}$$

Factorial of $0$ and Zeroth Power

$$= \frac{1}{x} \left(\sum_{p = 0}^\infty \frac{(n x)^{p + 1}}{(p + 1)!}\right) \sum_{p = 0}^\infty \frac{B_p x^p}{p!}$$

Translation of Index Variable of Summation

$$= \sum_{p = 0}^\infty \frac{n^{p + 1} x^p}{(p + 1)!} \sum_{p = 0}^\infty \frac{B_p x^p}{p!}$$

Power of Product

$$= \sum_{p = 0}^\infty \sum_{i = 0}^p \frac{n^{p + 1 - i} x^{p - i}}{(p + 1 - i)! i!} B_i n^{p + 1 - i} x^p$$

Definition of Cauchy Product

$$= \sum_{p = 0}^\infty \left(\frac{1}{p + 1} \sum_{i = 0}^p \binom{p + 1}{i} B_i n^{p + 1 - i}\right) \frac{x^p}{p!}$$

multiplying by $1$ and Product of Powers

$$\sum_{k = 0}^{n - 1} k^p = \frac{1}{p + 1} \sum_{i = 0}^p \binom{p + 1}{i} B_i n^{p + 1 - i}$$

Definition of Binomial Coefficient

$$\implies \sum_{k = 1}^n k^p = \frac{1}{p + 1} \sum_{i = 0}^p (-1)^i \binom{p + 1}{i} B_i n^{p + 1 - i}$$

Equating coefficients:

$$\sum_{k = 0}^{n - 1} k^p = \frac{1}{p + 1} \sum_{i = 0}^p \binom{p + 1}{i} B_i n^{p + 1 - i}$$ $$\implies \sum_{k = 0}^{n - 1} k^p + n^p = \frac{1}{p + 1} \sum_{i = 0}^p \binom{p + 1}{i} B_i n^{p + 1 - i} + \left(\frac{1}{p + 1} \binom{p + 1}{1} n^p\right)$$

adding $n^{p}$ to both sides and Binomial Coefficient with One

$$\implies \sum_{k = 1}^n k^p = \frac{1}{p + 1} \sum_{i = 0}^p (-1)^i \binom{p + 1}{i} B_i n^{p + 1 - i}$$

as $B_{1}=-\frac{1}{2}$ and Odd Bernoulli Numbers Vanish

Q.E.D.