Is there a way to express this summation as an integral?

In summary, the conversation discusses an equation involving a limit and a summation, and the speaker is looking for a way to express it as a neat integral. The possibility of this is questioned, and a link is shared where a similar problem is addressed. The expert's initial impression is that the equation does not look like an integral due to the terms being independent of n.
  • #1
gaganaut
20
0
Hi,
This is to do with my research. While deriving some theory, I got an equation as follows.

[tex]\lim_{n\rightarrow\infty}\sum_{i=1}^n\frac{R^2}{R^2+(4a\,i-2\,k)^2-(4a\,i-2\,k)\,\sin(\gamma)}[/tex]

Never mind what [tex]R, a, k,[/tex] and [tex]\gamma[/tex] are. They are all constants.

What I would like to do is to get a neat integral for this expression. So I would really appreciate if someone could let me know if doing this is even possible or not. The presence of the limit and the summation together tells me that there must be an integral solution.

I found a link where they deal with this stuff, but there, only a particular class of functions are dealt with (without saying so). Here is the URL,
http://johnmayhk.wordpress.com/2007/09/24/alpm-sum-an-infinite-series-by-definite-integrals/

Can something similar be worked out for this problem? If not is there any other general method to do this stuff. I don't expect a complete solution, but a small hint will work wonders.

Thanks.
 
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  • #2
My first impression was that your equation does not look like an integral. The reason is that sums that converge to an integral generally look like

[tex]\sum_{i = 1}^{n} f(w_{i\,n})* \delta_{i\,n}[/tex]

where [tex]\delta_{i\,n} \rightarrow 0 \text{ as } n \rightarrow \infty [/tex]. Your sum does not look like that because the terms are independent of n. The first terms in your sum are always large, and then converge to 0 as i gets larger. This will allow the series to converge, but you will never get the first terms epsilon-small, which is what an integral does.
 
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Related to Is there a way to express this summation as an integral?

What is "Express summation at integral"?

"Express summation at integral" is a mathematical concept that relates summation, which is a way of adding up a series of numbers, to integrals, which are a way of finding the area under a curve. It allows us to approximate the value of a summation by using integrals.

How does "Express summation at integral" work?

To express summation at integral, we take the sum of a series of numbers and turn it into an integral by using a function that represents the series. This function is then integrated over a specific interval to approximate the value of the summation.

What is the purpose of "Express summation at integral"?

The purpose of "Express summation at integral" is to allow us to approximate the value of a summation, which may be difficult to solve exactly, by using integrals, which can be solved using various mathematical techniques. It can also help us better understand the relationship between summation and integration.

When is "Express summation at integral" used?

"Express summation at integral" is commonly used in calculus and other areas of mathematics where the evaluation of summations is needed. It is also used in fields such as physics and engineering to solve real-world problems that involve summations.

What are the limitations of "Express summation at integral"?

One limitation of "Express summation at integral" is that it can only approximate the value of a summation, not give an exact solution. It also requires knowledge of integration techniques, which may be challenging for some individuals. Additionally, it may not work for all types of summations, depending on the complexity of the series.

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