TITLE: How show that this sum $\sum^{n}_{i=0} \frac{(-1)^i}{n+k+i} \cdot \frac{(m+n+i)!}{i!(n-i)!(m+i)!}=0$
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: show that :
$$\sum^{n}_{i=0} \frac{(-1)^i}{n+k+i} \cdot \frac{(m+n+i)!}{i!(n-i)!(m+i)!}=0$$
This problem is from :  http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?p=239364&sid=2fbf367cb9fab8240df03e632a41085a#p239364
Evaluate a finite sum with four factorials
I think this problem have integral methods,But I can't ,Thank you

REPLY [4 votes]: We have:
$\displaystyle S_{n,m,k}=\sum_{i=0}^n\dfrac{(-1)^i}{n+k+i}\cdot\dfrac{(m+n+i)!}{i!(n-i)!(m+i)!}=\sum_{i=0}^n\dfrac{(-1)^i(m+n+i)...(n+k+i+1). (n+k+i-1)!}{i!(n-i)!(m+i)...(k+i+1).(k+i)!}$
$\displaystyle\quad =\sum_{i=0}^n\dfrac{(m+n+i)^{\underline{m-k}}}{(m+i)^{\underline{m-k}}}\cdot \dfrac{(-1)^i{n\choose i}{n+k+i-1\choose n-1}}{n}$
*Note: $(x)^{\underline{n}}=x(x-1)...(x-n+1)$
Now, We caculate differences
$\Delta\left[\dfrac{(m+n+i)^{\underline{m-k}}}{(m+i)^{\underline{m-k}}}\right]=\dfrac{(n+k+i+2)...(m+n+i+1)}{(k+i+2)...(m+i+1)}-\dfrac{(n+k+i+1)...(m+n+i)}{(k+i+1)...(m+i)}$
$\quad =n(k-m)\cdot\dfrac{(m+n+i)^{\underline{m-k-1}}}{(m+i+1)^{\underline{m-k+1}}}$
and
$\Delta\left[(-1)^{i-1}.{n-1\choose i-1}{n+k+i-1\choose n}\right]=\dfrac{n+k}{n}(-1)^i.{n\choose i} {n+k+i-1\choose n-1}$
Therefor by Summation by parts, we have:
$\displaystyle S_{n,m,k}=\dfrac{1}{n+k}\sum_{i=0}^n \dfrac{(m+n+i)^{\underline{m-k}}}{(m+i)^{\underline{m-k}}}\Delta\left[(-1)^{i-1}.{n-1\choose i-1}{n+k+i-1\choose n}\right]$
$\displaystyle = \dfrac{1}{n+k}\left.\left[\dfrac{(m+n+i)^{\underline{m-k}}}{(m+i)^{\underline{m-k}}}\cdot (-1)^{i-1}.{n-1\choose i-1}{n+k+i-1\choose n}\right]\right|_{i=0}^{n+1}$
$\quad +\dfrac{n(m-k)}{n+k}\sum_{i=0}^n (-1)^{i}.{n-1\choose i}{n+k+i\choose n} \cdot\dfrac{(m+n+i)^{\underline{m-k-1}}}{(m+i+1)^{\underline{m-k+1}}}$
$\displaystyle =\dfrac{(m-k)}{n+k}\sum_{i=0}^{n-1} \dfrac{(-1)^i(m+n+i)!}{(n+k+i+1) i!(n-1-i)!(m+i+1)!}$
$\Rightarrow S_{n,m,k}=\dfrac{m-k}{n+k}S_{n-1,m+1,k+2}=\dfrac{m-k}{n+k}\cdot\dfrac{m-k-1}{n+k+1}S_{n-2,m+2,k+4}=...=$
$=\dfrac{(m-k)(m-k-1)...(m-k-n+1)}{(n+k)(n+k+1)...(2n+k-1)}S_{0,m+n,k+2n}$
inside 
$S_{0,m+n,k+2n}=\dfrac{(-1)^0 (m+n+0+0)!}{(0+k+2n+0) 0!(0-0)!(m+n+0)!}=\dfrac{1}{2n+k}$
Result: $\boxed{\displaystyle\sum_{i=0}^n\dfrac{(-1)^i}{n+k+i}\cdot\dfrac{(m+n+i)!}{i!(n-i)!(m+i)!}=\dfrac{(m-k)^{\underline{n}}}{(n+k)_{n+1}}}$
*Note: Pochhammer symbol: $(x)_n=x(x+1)...(x+n-1)$