Bell Number

In combinatorics, the nth Bell number, named after Eric Temple Bell, is the number of partitions of a set with n members, or equivalently, the number of equivalence relations on it. Starting with B0 = B1 = 1, the first few Bell numbers are:

1, 1, 2, 5, 15, 52, 203, 877, 4140, 21147, 115975, … (sequence A000110 in OEIS).

(See also breakdown by number of subsets/equivalence classes.)

Read more about Bell Number:  Partitions of A Set, Properties of Bell Numbers, Asymptotic Limit and Bounds, Triangle Scheme For Calculating Bell Numbers, Prime Bell Numbers

Famous quotes containing the words bell and/or number:

    There is evidence that all too many people are approaching parenthood with a dangerous lack of knowledge and skill. The result is that many children are losing out on what ought to be an undeniable right—the right to have parents who know how to be good parents, parents skilled in the art of “parenting.”
    —T. H. Bell (20th century)

    In the end we beat them with Levi 501 jeans. Seventy-two years of Communist indoctrination and propaganda was drowned out by a three-ounce Sony Walkman. A huge totalitarian system ... has been brought to its knees because nobody wants to wear Bulgarian shoes.... Now they’re lunch, and we’re number one on the planet.
    —P.J. (Patrick Jake)