How do I simplify sigma notation to find the sum in terms of n only?

In summary, the conversation is about using Riemann Sums to calculate the area under a curve and simplifying the sigma notation to find the sum in terms of n only. The student makes a mistake but then corrects it and simplifies the final result to get the limit as n approaches infinity.
  • #1
Youngster
38
0

Homework Statement



I'm actually asked to calculate the area under the curve 5x + x2 over the interval [0,1] using Riemann Sums. I found the formula for the Riemann sum over the interval, it being the following:

[itex]\sum[/itex][itex]^{n}_{k=1}[/itex] ([itex]\frac{5k}{n}[/itex]+[itex]\frac{k^{2}}{n^{2}}[/itex])([itex]\frac{1}{n}[/itex])

However, I am asked to simplify the sigma notation to find the sum in terms of n only, which is where I'm currently stuck.

Homework Equations



None, I believe. Except perhaps the sum formulas for positive integers

The Attempt at a Solution



I actually just went ahead and multiplied through and separated each term like so

[itex]\frac{5}{n^{2}}[/itex][itex]\sum[/itex][itex]^{n}_{k=1}[/itex] k +[itex]\frac{1}{n^{3}}[/itex][itex]\sum[/itex][itex]^{n}_{k=1}[/itex] k[itex]^{2}[/itex]

I, however, was left with something completely different from the expected answers given. Am I going through this correctly?
 
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  • #2
Yes, you are on the right track. Now use a closed-form expression for those two sums to get something only in terms of n; then you can take the limit as n goes to infinity.
 
  • #3
Okay, I figured out what I was doing wrong after going through my work - I neglected to multiply part of the numerator of the first sum by 3n, thus giving me something different. So after multiplying through, the end result should be:

[itex]\frac{15n^{3}+15n^{2}}{6n^{3}}[/itex] + [itex]\frac{2n^{3}+3n^{2}+n}{6n^{3}}[/itex]

This should simplify to:

[itex]\frac{17n^{3}+18n^{2}+n}{6n^{3}}[/itex]

This could further be simplified by removing [itex]\frac{17n^{3}}{6n^{3}}[/itex] to get

[itex]\frac{17}{6}[/itex] + [itex]\frac{18n+1}{6n^{2}}[/itex], where an n is distributed out of the second term.

Then the limit should be [itex]\frac{17}{6}[/itex] as n approaches infinity since the second term is equal to zero. :D
 
  • #4
Youngster said:
Okay, I figured out what I was doing wrong after going through my work - I neglected to multiply part of the numerator of the first sum by 3n, thus giving me something different. So after multiplying through, the end result should be:

[itex]\frac{15n^{3}+15n^{2}}{6n^{3}}[/itex] + [itex]\frac{2n^{3}+3n^{2}+n}{6n^{3}}[/itex]

This should simplify to:

[itex]\frac{17n^{3}+18n^{2}+n}{6n^{3}}[/itex]

This could further be simplified by removing [itex]\frac{17n^{3}}{6n^{3}}[/itex] to get

[itex]\frac{17}{6}[/itex] + [itex]\frac{18n+1}{6n^{2}}[/itex], where an n is distributed out of the second term.

Then the limit should be [itex]\frac{17}{6}[/itex] as n approaches infinity since the second term is equal to zero. :D

Sure, that's it.
 

1. What is sigma notation?

Sigma notation is a mathematical shorthand notation used to represent the sum of a series of numbers. It uses the Greek letter sigma (Σ) to indicate the start of the series and a variable below it to represent the numbers being summed.

2. Why is sigma notation used?

Sigma notation is used to simplify and condense long expressions involving sums. It also makes it easier to identify patterns and relationships within a series of numbers.

3. How do you simplify sigma notation?

To simplify sigma notation, you need to expand the series and combine like terms. This involves substituting values for the variable and adding them together. The final result should be a single number or expression without any sigma notation.

4. What are the rules for manipulating sigma notation?

The following are some basic rules for manipulating sigma notation:
1. Constants can be factored out of the sigma notation.
2. The sum of two sigma notations can be written as a single sigma notation.
3. The order of the terms in the sigma notation can be rearranged.
4. The limit of a sigma notation can be changed without affecting the final result.

5. How is sigma notation used in real-life applications?

Sigma notation is commonly used in various fields of science and engineering, such as physics, chemistry, and economics. It is used to represent sums of a large number of values, such as in calculating the total energy of a system or the total cost of a project. It is also used in computer programming to simplify complex algorithms involving sums.

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