Probability Proofs for Stirling (and More): the Ubiquitous Role of $\mathbf{\sqrt{2π}}$

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Hjort, Nils Lid, Stoltenberg, Emil Aas
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Hjort, Nils Lid
Stoltenberg, Emil Aas
author_facet Hjort, Nils Lid
Stoltenberg, Emil Aas
contents The Stirling approximation formula for $n!$ dates from 1730. Here we give new and instructive proofs of this and related approximation formulae via tools of probability and statistics. There are connections to the Central Limit Theorem and also to approximations of marginal distributions in Bayesian setups. Certain formulae emerge by working through particular instances, some independently verifiable but others perhaps not. A particular case yielding new formulae is that of summing independent uniforms, related to the Irwin--Hall distribution. Yet further proofs of the Stirling flow from examining aspects of limiting normality of the sample median of uniforms, and from these again we find a proof for the Wallis product formula for $π$.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_19555
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Probability Proofs for Stirling (and More): the Ubiquitous Role of $\mathbf{\sqrt{2π}}$
Hjort, Nils Lid
Stoltenberg, Emil Aas
Probability
Statistics Theory
Other Statistics
The Stirling approximation formula for $n!$ dates from 1730. Here we give new and instructive proofs of this and related approximation formulae via tools of probability and statistics. There are connections to the Central Limit Theorem and also to approximations of marginal distributions in Bayesian setups. Certain formulae emerge by working through particular instances, some independently verifiable but others perhaps not. A particular case yielding new formulae is that of summing independent uniforms, related to the Irwin--Hall distribution. Yet further proofs of the Stirling flow from examining aspects of limiting normality of the sample median of uniforms, and from these again we find a proof for the Wallis product formula for $π$.
title Probability Proofs for Stirling (and More): the Ubiquitous Role of $\mathbf{\sqrt{2π}}$
topic Probability
Statistics Theory
Other Statistics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.19555