Mixed r-Stirling numbers of the second kind

Daniel Yaqubi1, Madjid Mirzavaziri1, Yasin Saeednezhad 1
1Department of Pure Mathematics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, P. O. Box 1159, Mashhad 91775, Iran.

Abstract

The Stirling number of the second kind \( S(n, k) \) counts the number of ways to partition a set of \( n \) labeled balls into \( k \) non-empty unlabeled cells. We extend this problem and give a new statement of the \( r \)-Stirling numbers of the second kind and \( r \)-Bell numbers. We also introduce the \( r \)-mixed Stirling number of the second kind and \( r \)-mixed Bell numbers. As an application of our results we obtain a formula for the number of ways to write an integer \( m > 0 \) in the form \( m_1 \cdot m_2 \cdot \cdots \cdot m_k \), where \( k \geq 1 \) and \( m_i \)’s are positive integers greater than 1.

Keywords: Multiplicative partition function; Stirling numbers of the second kind; mixed partition of a set.