Finding a closed formula for $1\cdot2\cdot3\cdots k +\dots + n(n+1)(n+2)\cdots(k+n-1)$

The pattern looks pretty clear: you have

$$\begin{align*} &\sum_{i=1}^ni=\frac12n(n+1)\\ &\sum_{i=1}^ni(i+1)=\frac13n(n+1)(n+2)\\ &\sum_{i=1}^ni(i+1)(i+2)=\frac14n(n+1)(n+2)(n+3)\;, \end{align*}\tag{1}$$

where the righthand sides are closed formulas for the lefthand sides. Now you want

$$\sum_{i=1}^ni(i+1)(i+2)\dots(i+k-1)\;;$$

what’s the obvious extension of the pattern of $(1)$? Once you write it down, the proof will be by induction on $n$.

Added: The general result, of which the three in $(1)$ are special cases, is $$\sum_{i=1}^ni(i+1)(i+2)\dots(i+k-1)=\frac1{k+1}n(n+1)(n+2)\dots(n+k)\;.\tag{2}$$ For $n=1$ this is $$k!=\frac1{k+1}(k+1)!\;,$$ which is certainly true. Now suppose that $(2)$ holds. Then

$$\begin{align*}\sum_{i=1}^{n+1}i(i+1)&(i+2)\dots(i+k-1)\\ &\overset{(1)}=(n+1)(n+2)\dots(n+k)+\sum_{i=1}^ni(i+1)(i+2)\dots(i+k-1)\\ &\overset{(2)}=(n+1)(n+2)\dots(n+k)+\frac1{k+1}n(n+1)(n+2)\dots(n+k)\\ &\overset{(3)}=\left(1+\frac{n}{k+1}\right)(n+1)(n+2)\dots(n+k)\\ &=\frac{n+k+1}{k+1}(n+1)(n+2)\dots(n+k)\\ &=\frac1{k+1}(n+1)(n+2)\dots(n+k)(n+k+1)\;, \end{align*}$$

exactly what we wanted, giving us the induction step. Here $(1)$ is just separating the last term of the summation from the first $n$, $(2)$ is applying the induction hypothesis, $(3)$ is pulling out the common factor of $(n+1)(n+2)\dots(n+k)$, and the rest is just algebra.

If you divide both sides by $k!$ you will get binomial coefficients and you are in fact trying to prove $$\binom kk + \binom{k+1}k + \dots + \binom{k+n-1}k = \binom{k+n}{k+1}.$$ This is precisely the identity from this question.

The same argument for $k=3$ was used here.

Or you can look at your problem the other way round: If you prove this result about finite sums $$\sum_{j=1}^n j(j+1)\dots(j+k-1)= \frac{n(n+1)\dots{n+k-1}}{k+1},$$ you also get a proof of the identity about binomial coefficients.

For a fixed non-negative $k$, let $$f(i)=\frac{1}{k+1}i(i+1)\ldots(i+k).$$ Then $$f(i)-f(i-1)=i(i+1)\ldots(i+k-1).$$ By telescoping,

$$\sum_{i=1}^ni(i+1)(i+2)\dots(i+k-1)=\sum_{i=1}^n\left(f(i)-f(i-1)\right)=f(n)-f(0)=f(n)$$

and we are done.

I asked exactly this question a couple of days ago, here:

Telescoping series of form $\sum (n+1)\cdot...\cdot(n+k)$

My favourite solution path so far is to start with the hockey stick identity.