TITLE: How find this sum $ \frac{1}{1999}\binom{1999}{0}-\frac{1}{1998}\binom{1998}{1}+\cdots-\frac{1}{1000}\binom{1000}{999}$
QUESTION [16 upvotes]: prove or disprove :
$$S=\dfrac{1}{1999}\binom{1999}{0}-\dfrac{1}{1998}\binom{1998}{1}+\dfrac{1}{1997}\binom{1997}{2}-\dfrac{1}{1996}\binom{1996}{3}+\cdots-\dfrac{1}{1000}\binom{1000}{999}=\dfrac{1}{1999}\left(w^{1999}_{1}+w^{1999}_{2}\right)$$
where
$$w_{1}=\dfrac{1+\sqrt{3}i}{2},w_{2}=\dfrac{1-\sqrt{3}i}{2}$$

My idea: since
$$\dfrac{1}{1999-k}\binom{1999-k}{k}=\dfrac{1}{1999-k}\dfrac{(1999-k)!}{k!(1999-2k)!}=\dfrac{(1998-k)!}{k!(1999-2k)!}$$
Then I can't,maybe can use integral deal it
Thank you

REPLY [10 votes]: This sum can also be done using Wilf / generatingfunctionology. Let
$$a_n = \sum_{k=0}^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}
\frac{(-1)^k}{n-k} {n-k \choose k}$$
and introduce the generating function
$$f(z) = \sum_{n\ge 1} a_n z^n
= \sum_{n\ge 1}
\sum_{k=0}^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}
\frac{(-1)^k}{n-k} {n-k \choose k} z^n
\\ =
\sum_{n\ge 1} \frac{z^n}{n} +
\sum_{n\ge 1}
\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}
\frac{(-1)^k}{n-k} {n-k \choose k} z^n.$$
Switch the order of summation in the inner sum to obtain
$$\sum_{k\ge 1} \sum_{n\ge 2k} 
\frac{(-1)^k}{n-k} {n-k \choose k} z^n
= \sum_{k\ge 1} \sum_{n\ge 0} 
\frac{(-1)^k}{n+k} {n+k \choose k} z^{n+2k}
\\= \sum_{k\ge 1} z^{2k} \sum_{n\ge 0} 
\frac{(-1)^k}{n+k} {n+k \choose k} z^n
= \sum_{k\ge 1} z^{2k} \sum_{n\ge 0} 
\frac{(-1)^k}{k} {n+k-1 \choose k-1} z^n
\\ = \sum_{k\ge 1} \frac{(-1)^k}{k} z^{2k} \sum_{n\ge 0} 
{n+k-1 \choose k-1} z^n
= \sum_{k\ge 1} \frac{(-1)^k}{k} z^{2k} \frac{1}{(1-z)^k}
\\ = \log\frac{1}{1 + \frac{z^2}{1-z}}.$$
This gives the following closed form for $f(z):$
$$f(z) = \log\frac{1}{1-z} +
\log\frac{1}{1 + \frac{z^2}{1-z}}
= \log\frac{1}{1-z+z^2}.$$
Finally put
$$w_{1,2} = \frac{1\pm i\sqrt{3}}{2}$$
so that $$1-z+z^2
= (1-w_1 z)(1-w_2 z).$$
This yields
$$f(z) = \log\frac{1}{1-z+z^2} =
\log\frac{1}{1-w_1 z} + \log\frac{1}{1-w_2 z}$$
so that
$$[z^n] f(z) = \frac{w_1^n}{n} + \frac{w_2^n}{n},$$
as obtained by @r9m in the comment.
Remark. Here we have made repeated use of the identity
$$\log\frac{1}{1-z} = \sum_{n\ge 1} \frac{z^n}{n}.$$