One of my favorite facts from combinatorics is that 0kn(nk)=2n\sum\limits_{0\leq k\leq n}\binom{n}{k} = 2^{n}. To prove it is simple: Note that 2=1+12 = 1 + 1, and that (nk)=(nk)1k1nk\binom{n}{k} = \binom{n}{k}\cdot 1^{k}\cdot 1^{n-k}, and appeal to binomial theorem: $$\sum_{0\leq k\leq … Continue reading →