HANKEL TRANSFORM AND BELL NUMBER REVIEW

ABSTRAC
The Hankel transform is the name sometimes given to the transformation of a sequence, where the
transformed sequence corresponds to the determinant of the Hankel matrix. We will define a

q -

analogue of the noncentral Bell numbers and obtain some combinatorial properties that will be used to
establish its Hankel transform.
INTRODUCTION
The Hankel transform was first developed by the mathematician Hermann Hankel. In linear algebra, a
Hankel matrix is a square matrix in which each ascending skew-diagonal from left to right is constant.
1. Hankel matrix

{a 0 , a 1 , }

Given a sequence A =
sequence
n

define the binomial transform B of a sequence A to be the

B ( A )={b n } , here bn is given by

()

bn = n a i
i=0 i
Define the Hankel matrix of order n of A to be the (n + 1) x (n + 1) upper left submatrix of

a 0 a1 a2 a3
a1 a2 a3 a 4
a2 a3 a4 a5
a3 a 4 a5 a6

Let

hn denote the determinant of the Hankel matrix of order n.. Then define the Hankel Transform

H of A to be the sequance

H ( A )={h0 ,h 1 , h2 , } . For example, the Hankel matrix of order 3 of

the derangement numbers, {Dn}= {1, 0, 1, 2, 9, 44, 265, ...}, is

1
0
1
2

0
1
1
2
2 9
9 44

2
9
44
265

2. Hankel Transform

The Hankel matrix

Hn

of order

of a sequence

= {

a0 , a1 , .. . , an } is given by

Hn=( ai+ j) 0 i , j n . The Hankel determinant hn of order n of

of the corresponding Hankel matrix of order
transform of the sequence

A , denoted by

n . That is,

hn

is the determinant

= det( Hn ). The Hankel

H ( A) , is the sequence { Hn

} of Hankel

A . For instance, the Hankel transform of the sequence of Catalan numbers,

determinants of

C={(1/(n+1))( 2n ) } =1 , is given by
n n=1
() = {1, 1, 1, . . .}
and the sequence of the sum of two consecutive Catalan numbers,
the

an =c n+ c n+1 , with c n being

n th Catalannumbers, has the Hankel transform

H ( an ) ={ F2 n +1 }n=0
Fn is the nth Fibonacci number

Where

One remarkable property of Hankel transform is established by Layman [1], which states that the
Hankel transform of an integer sequence is invariant under binomial and inverse binomial transforms.
We recall that a sequence
n

B=( b n ) is a binomial transform of = (), denoted by B ( A ) , if

()

bn = n ak
k=0 k

And C = (
n

Cn is an inverse binomial transform of = (), denoted by C( A) , if

c n= (1 )
k=0

nk

( nk) a

3. The r-Bell Numbers

The Bell number

Bn counts the partitions of a set with n elements. The Stirling number with

parameters n and k, denoted by

{nk}

, enumerates the number of partitions of a set with

elements consisting k disjoint, nonempty sets. We get immediately that

Bn can be given by the

sum
n

{}

B n= n
k=0 k

{nk}

The numbers
n

are also called as Stirling partition numbers. The n-th Bell polynomial is

{}

B n (x)= n x k
k=0 k
These numbers and polynomials have many interesting properties and appear in several
Combinatorial identities.
SOME RESEARCH SUPPORT
1. The Hankel Transform and Some of its Properties (John W. Layman)
The Hankel transform of an integer sequence is defined and some of its properties discussed. It is
shown that the Hankel transform of a sequence S is the same as the Hankel transform of the
Binomial or Invert transform of S. If H is the Hankel matrix of a sequence and H=LU is the LU
decomposition of H, the behavior of the first super-diagonal of U under the Binomial or Invert
transform is also studied. This leads to a simple classification scheme for certain integer
sequences.
2. The k-Binomial Transforms and the Hankel Transform (Michael Z. Spivey, Laura L. Steil)
We give a new proof of the invariance of the Hankel transform under the binomial transform of a
sequence. Our method of proof leads to three variations of the binomial transform; we call these
the k-binomial transforms. We give a simple means of constructing these transforms via a triangle
of numbers. We show how the exponential generating function of a sequence changes after our
transforms are applied, and we use this to prove that several sequences in the On-Line
Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences are related via our transforms. In the process, we prove three
conjectures in the OEIS. Addressing a question of Layman, we then show that the Hankel
transform of a sequence is invariant under one of our transforms, and we show how the Hankel

transform changes after the other two transforms are applied. Finally, we use these results to
determine the Hankel transforms of several integer sequences.
3. The r-Bell Numbers (Istvan Mezo)
The notion of r-Stirling numbers implies the definition of generalized Bell (or r-Bell) numbers.
The r-Bell numbers have appeared in several works, but there is no systematic treatise on this
topic. In this paper we fill this gap. We discuss the most important combinatorial, algebraic and
analytic properties of these numbers, which generalize similar properties of the Bell numbers.
Most of these results seem to be new. It turns out that in a paper of Whitehead, these numbers
appeared in a very different context. In addition, we study the so-called r-Bell polynomials.
4. The Hankel Transform of q-Noncentral Bell Numbers( Cristina B. Corcino, Roberto B.
Corcino, JayM. Ontolan, CharrymaeM. Perez-Fernandez, and Ednelyn R. Cantallopez)
We define two forms of -analogue of noncentral Stirling numbers of the second kind and obtain
some properties parallel to those of noncentral Stirling numbers. Certain combinatorial
interpretation is given for the second form of the -analogue in the context of 0-1 tableaux which,
consequently, yields certain additive identity and some convolution-type formulas. Finally, a analogue of noncentral Bell numbers is defined and its Hankel transform is established.
In that same paper, an open problem is disclosed which is to determine the Hankel transform of a

q -analogue of generalized Bell numbers. This problem motivates the present authors to define a
q -analogue of the noncentral Bell numbers and obtain some combinatorial properties that will be
used to establish its Hankel transform.

REFERENCES
1. C.B. Corcino, R.B. Corcino, JayM. Ontolan, CharrymaeM. Perez-Fernandez, and Ednelyn R.
Cantallopez. The Hankel Transform of q-Noncentral Bell Numbers. International Journal of
Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences Volume 2015. 2015
2. I.Mezo, The r-Bell numbers, Journal of Integer Sequences, vol. 14, article 11.1.1, 2011.
3. J. W. Layman, The Hankel transform and some of its properties, Journal of Integer Sequences,
vol. 4, no. 1, 2001.

4. M. Z. Spivey and L. L. Steil, The k-binomial transform and the Hankel transform, Journal of
Integer Sequences, vol. 9, article 06.1.1, 2006.
5. R.B. Corcino and C.B. Corcino, The Hankel Transform of Generalized Bell Numbers and Its qAnalogue. Utilitas Mathematica, 89 (2012), 297-309.