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:
“One of the most difficult aspects of being a parent during the middle years is feeling powerless to protect our children from hurt. However growthful it may be for them to experience failure, disappointment and rejection, it is nearly impossible to maintain an intellectual perspective when our sobbing child or rageful child comes in to us for help. . . . We cant turn the hurt around by kissing the sore spot to make it better. We are no longer the all-powerful parent.”
—Ruth Davidson Bell (20th century)
“In many ways, life becomes simpler [for young adults]. . . . We are expected to solve only a finite number of problems within a limited range of possible solutions. . . . Its a mental vacation compared with figuring out who we are, what we believe, what were going to do with our talents, how were going to solve the social problems of the globe . . .and what the perfect way to raise our children will be.”
—Roger Gould (20th century)