Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 January 2009
The alternant with powers of variables for its elements
has often been investigated and its properties are well known. In the present note an “alternant” with factorial elements,
will be discussed. Here a, b, c, …, z, α, β, γ, …, ω are integers such that
and
with the convention that a(0) = 1, O(0) = 1, and that, where negative indices occur (in the reductions of §2), the factorial is to be regarded as zero.
page 296 note 1 See, for example, Muir's History of Determinants.
page 298 note 1 The necessity for the convention a(0) = 1, O(0) = 1 is seen by examining the reduction of for the cases a≧1 and a=0.