Expected Value for summing over distinct random integers? Let $L=\{a_1,a_2,\ldots,a_k\}$ be a random (uniformly chosen) subset of length $k$ of the numbers $\{1,2,\ldots,n\}$. I want to find $E(X)$ where $X$ is the random variable that sums all numbers. We might want that $k < n$ too.
My main problem is that I cannot get the function $q(a,k,n)$ that gives me the number of ways to write the number $a$ as the sum of exactly $k$ distinct addends less or equal $n$. This seems related but it doesn't limit the size of the numbers.

The expectation of each of the terms in the sum is $(n+1)/2$ so the expectation is $k(n+1)/2$.
If you want to calculate the function $q(a,k,n)$ then you can use my Java applet here, by choosing "Partitions with distinct terms of:" $a$, "Exact number of terms:"$k$, "Each term no more than:" $n$, and then click on the "Calculate" button. If instead you start with "Compositions with distinct terms of:", then you will get a figure $k!$ times as big.
