Simplify $\sum_{i=0}^n(-1)^i { n \choose i } (n - i)^3$ How can we simplify $\sum_{i=0}^n(-1)^i { n \choose i } (n - i)^3$?
I started computing the first values to figure the pattern:
$\sum_{i=0}^0(-1)^i { 0 \choose i } (0 - i)^3 = 0$
$\sum_{i=0}^1(-1)^i { 1 \choose i } (1 - i)^3 = 1 + 0 = 1$
$\sum_{i=0}^2(-1)^i { 2 \choose i } (2 - i)^3 = 2^3 - 2 + 0 = 6$
$\sum_{i=0}^3(-1)^i { 3 \choose i } (3 - i)^3 = 3^3 -3 \cdot 2^3+3-0 = 6 $
The results don't lead to a pattern and so I thought I must be missing something.
I know that $\sum_{i=0}^n(-1)^i { n \choose i } = 0$ but this also doesn't help.
How to go forth here to solve this (finding a form without the $\Sigma$)?
 A: The result is related to the Stirling number of the second kind:
$$
n!{3 \brace n}.
$$
Particularly for $n>3$ all values are $0$.
A: I will re-index the sum for personal taste.
The trick here, from the theory of generating functions, is to write $k^3$ as the linear differential operator $(x\frac{\partial}{\partial x})$ applied thrice to the power $x^k$, then evaluated at $x=1$. Then
$$ \sum_{k=0}^n (-1)^k \binom{n}{k}k^3=\left(x\frac{\partial}{\partial x}\right)^3\left.\sum_{k=0}^n (-1)^{n-k}\binom{n}{k}x^k\right|_{x=1} $$
$$ = \left.\left(x\frac{\partial}{\partial x}\right)^3 (x-1)^n\right|_{x=1} $$
Funnily enough, if $n>3$ then all of the derivatives of $(x-1)^n$ above (using the product rule multiple times) will still retain a $(x-1)$ factor, and so when evaluated at $x=1$ will yield $\Sigma=0$. You will see this pattern if you evaluate the sum for $n=4,5,6,\cdots$ (you will get $0$ each time)!
A: First note that, for $n\ge 3$,
$${ n \choose i }i(i-1)(i-2)=n(n-1)(n-2){ n-3 \choose i-3 }.$$
So, for $n\ge 4$,
$$\sum_{i=0}^n(-1)^i { n \choose i } i(i-1)(i-2)=-n(n-1)(n-2)\sum_{j=0}^{n-3}(-1)^j { {n-3} \choose{j} }=0.$$
Similarly
$$\sum_{i=0}^n(-1)^i { n \choose i } i(i-1)=\sum_{i=0}^n(-1)^i { n \choose i } i=\sum_{i=0}^n(-1)^i { n \choose i }=0.$$
Therefore, by expanding $(n-i)^3$,
$$\sum_{i=0}^n(-1)^i { n \choose i } (n-i)^3=0.$$
