A new approach to Catalan numbers using differential equations

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce two differential equations arising from the generating function of the Catalan numbers which are `inverses' to each other in some sense. From these differential equations, we obtain some new and explicit identities for Catalan and higher-order Catalan numbers. In addition, by other means than differential equations we also derive some interesting identities involving Catalan numbers which are of arithmetic and combinatorial nature.