Lower and Upper Riemann sums of sin(x)

In summary, in order to show that the lower and upper Riemann sums of sin(x) over a uniform partition P on [0, π] divided into 6 equal subintervals are less than 1.5 and greater than 2.4 respectively, we must calculate the maximum and minimum values of sin(x) over each subinterval. The upper sum is approximately 2.47 and the lower sum is approximately 1.43.
  • #1
paulca
2
1

Task in real analysis:
P is a uniform partition on [0, π] and is divided into 6 equal subintervals. Show that the lower and upper riemann sums of sin (x) over P is lesser than 1.5 and larger than 2.4 respectively.

My attempt at the solution:
The greates value and the least value of sin x over an subinterval (xi- xi-1) is 1 and -1. The upper and lower riemann sums is then:
upper sum: S(P) = ∑i=16 (xi- xi-1) = x6 - x0 = π
Lower sum: s(P) = - i=16 (xi- xi-1) = -π


From this one could say that S(P) > 2.4 and s(P) < 1.5, but i don't feel like this is a full answer to the problem and i don't see another approach to solving the problem, so if anyone could give me some clue or tips it would be much appreciated.
 
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  • #2
Those are not the correct values for the upper and lower sums.

Let [itex]M_i = \sup\{ f(x) : x_{i-1} \leq x \leq x_i\}[/itex] and [itex]m_i = \inf \{ f(x) : x_{i-1} \leq x \leq x_i \}[/itex]. Then [tex]
S(P) = \sum_{i=1}^6 M_i(x_i - x_{i-1}), \\
s(P) = \sum_{i=1}^6 m_i(x_i - x_{i-1}).
[/tex] What are the maximum and minimum values of [itex]\sin x[/itex] when [itex]\frac{(i-1)\pi}6 = x_{i-1} \leq x \leq \frac{i\pi}6 = x_i[/itex]? They aren't all 1 and -1 respectively (aside from anything else, [itex]\sin(x) \geq 0[/itex] for [itex]x \in [0, \pi][/itex]).
 
  • #3
Thank you for replying. I saw that myself a while ago and found what the maximum and minimum value of sin x over each of the 6 subintervals such that the upper sum sin x over partition P should be:
S(P) = ∑i=16 Δx ⋅max(sinx)i = (π/6) ⋅(1/2 + √3/2 + 1 + 1 + √3/2 + 1/2) = (π/6) ⋅ (3 + √3) ≈ 2,47 > 2,4
and similar for the lower sum:
s(P) = (π/6) ⋅ (1 + √3) ≈ 1,43 < 1,5
 
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1. What are Riemann sums?

Riemann sums are a method of approximating the area under a curve by dividing it into smaller rectangles and adding up their individual areas. They are often used in calculus to find the area under a curve when it is not possible to calculate the exact value using traditional methods.

2. How are lower and upper Riemann sums different?

Lower and upper Riemann sums are two types of Riemann sums that use different methods to approximate the area under a curve. Lower Riemann sums use the lower values of each rectangle to calculate the area, while upper Riemann sums use the upper values. This results in a lower and upper bound for the actual area.

3. How is sin(x) used in Riemann sums?

Sin(x) is often used as the function to be integrated in Riemann sums because it is a continuous function that is easy to work with. Its values can be easily calculated for any given x-coordinate, making it a good choice for approximating the area under a curve.

4. What is the purpose of using Riemann sums?

The purpose of using Riemann sums is to approximate the area under a curve when it is not possible to calculate the exact value using traditional methods. This allows us to find the area under more complex curves and functions, making it a useful tool in calculus and other branches of mathematics.

5. How can we improve the accuracy of Riemann sums?

The accuracy of Riemann sums can be improved by increasing the number of rectangles used to approximate the area. The more rectangles we use, the closer our approximation will be to the actual area under the curve. Additionally, using a combination of lower and upper Riemann sums can also help to improve accuracy.

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