Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2001/ia/paper-4/2e/solution

For nonnegative integers , prove the hockey-stick identity by mathematical induction on . The induction base case is . If the formula holds through , Pascal's identity gives
This supplies the inductive step.
A binary string containing exactly zeroes and ones has length . Choosing its one-positions gives possibilities. Different values of give disjoint collections, so counting binary strings with bounded ones yields
This includes : the strings are the empty string and the all-one strings of lengths one through .

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