On an identity by Chaundy and Bullard. II. More history

Abstract

An identity by Chaundy and Bullard writes 1/(1-x)^n (n=1,2,...) as a sum of two truncated binomial series. In a paper which appeared in 2008 in Indag. Math. the authors surveyed many aspects of this identity. In the present paper we discuss much earlier occurrences of this identity in works by Hering (1868), de Moivre (1738) and de Montmort (1713). A relationship with Krawtchouk polynomials in work by Greville (1966) is also discussed.