TITLE: Find the sum of the series $\sum^{\infty}_{n=1} \frac{1}{(n+1)(n+2)(n+3) \cdots (n+k)}$
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: Find the sum of the series 
$$\sum^{\infty}_{n=1} \frac{1}{(n+1)(n+2)(n+3) \cdots (n+k)}$$
Given series 
$$\sum^{\infty}_{n=1} \frac{1}{(n+1)(n+2)(n+3) \cdots (n+k)}$$
$$ = \frac{1}{2\cdot3\cdot4 \cdots (k+1)}+\frac{1}{3\cdot4\cdot5 \cdots (k+2)}+\frac{1}{4\cdot5\cdot6\cdots (k+3)} +\cdots$$
now how to proceed further in this pleas suggest thanks ....

REPLY [6 votes]: There is a technique involving the machinery of beta functions which comes close to providing an algorithmic approach to evaluating a broad family of sums like these involving ratios of factorials. The idea to is to represent the ratio of factorials as a beta function, write the beta function as an integral, move the summation under the integral sign, and then evaluate the resulting geometric series. The whole process transforms the series into a integral.
For $k>1$,
$$\begin{align}
S
&=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{1}{(n+1)(n+2)(n+3)\dots(n+k)}\\
&=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{n!}{(n+k)!}\\
&=\frac{1}{(k-1)!}\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{n!(k-1)!}{(n+k)!}\\
&=\frac{1}{(k-1)!}\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{\Gamma{(n+1)}\,\Gamma{(k)}}{\Gamma{(n+k+1)}}\\
&=\frac{1}{(k-1)!}\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\operatorname{B}{\left(n+1,k\right)}\\
&=\frac{1}{(k-1)!}\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\int_{0}^{1}t^n(1-t)^{k-1}\,\mathrm{d}t\\
&=\frac{1}{(k-1)!}\int_{0}^{1}(1-t)^{k-1}\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}t^n\,\mathrm{d}t\\
&=\frac{1}{(k-1)!}\int_{0}^{1}(1-t)^{k-1}\frac{t}{1-t}\,\mathrm{d}t\\
&=\frac{1}{(k-1)!}\int_{0}^{1}t\,(1-t)^{k-2}\,\mathrm{d}t\\
&=\frac{1}{(k-1)!}\operatorname{B}{\left(2,k-1\right)}\\
&=\frac{1}{(k-1)!}\cdot\frac{1}{k(k-1)}\\
&=\frac{1}{k!(k-1)}.\\
\end{align}$$