Series Help: Finding ∫qk(x)dx for k = 2,6,10,14 in Approximating ∫sin(x^2)dx

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In summary, the conversation discusses finding the first four nonzero terms of a series to approximate the integral of sin(x^2) using the upper and lower bounds of 1 and 0. The first four terms are found by replacing x with x^2 in the Taylor series for sin(x) and the values of k correspond to the exponents in the series. There is some confusion about the notation of q_k and what it represents.
  • #1
Grew Gore

Homework Statement


Find ∫qk(x) dx where the upper bound is 1 and the lower bound is 0. g is some function and we are finding for k = 2,6,10 and 14, hence the first four non-zero terms of a series that can be used to calculate approximations to I = ∫sin(x^2) dx were the upper bound is 1 and the lower bound is 0.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


I am struggling to figure out how to incorporate k and get the terms we are after like in a Taylor Polynomial, but what I got so far is q/2 but that's assuming that q is just a constant. I'm stuck.
 

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  • #2
Grew Gore said:

Homework Statement


Find ∫qk(x) dx where the upper bound is 1 and the lower bound is 0. g is some function and we are finding for k = 2,6,10 and 14, hence the first four non-zero terms of a series that can be used to calculate approximations to I = ∫sin(x^2) dx were the upper bound is 1 and the lower bound is 0.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


I am struggling to figure out how to incorporate k and get the terms we are after like in a Taylor Polynomial, but what I got so far is q/2 but that's assuming that q is just a constant. I'm stuck.

I would start by writing the first four nonzero terms of the series for ##\sin x##. Then replace ##x## by ##x^2##. Then you might see where the values of ##k## come from and be on your way.
 
  • #3
LCKurtz said:
I would start by writing the first four nonzero terms of the series for ##\sin x##. Then replace ##x## by ##x^2##. Then you might see where the values of ##k## come from and be on your way.

Ok thanks. So the series for sin(x^2) is x^2 - (x^6)/3! + (x^10)/5! - (x^14)/7! + ...
And when its asks to find ∫qk(x) dx for 2, is that just the integral of x^2 which is (x^3)/3, and the integral of (x^6)/3! which is (x^7)/42

I see how the powers relate to the k values, but am unsure what the q is about. I'm sorry if I'm asking too much, just really need to get this done.
 
  • #4
Grew Gore said:
Ok thanks. So the series for sin(x^2) is x^2 - (x^6)/3! + (x^10)/5! - (x^14)/7! + ...
And when its asks to find ∫qk(x) dx for 2, is that just the integral of x^2 which is (x^3)/3, and the integral of (x^6)/3! which is (x^7)/42

I see how the powers relate to the k values, but am unsure what the q is about. I'm sorry if I'm asking too much, just really need to get this done.
The ##q_k##'s are just names for the four terms you are integrating. They have been named by their exponents. ##q_2(x) = \frac{x^2}{1}##, etc... If you had expanded ##\sin(x^2)## by its Taylor series the long way, the ##k## values would be the usual subscripts for the nonzero terms you get.
 
  • #5
Grew Gore said:
Ok thanks. So the series for sin(x^2) is x^2 - (x^6)/3! + (x^10)/5! - (x^14)/7! + ...
And when its asks to find ∫qk(x) dx for 2, is that just the integral of x^2 which is (x^3)/3, and the integral of (x^6)/3! which is (x^7)/42

I see how the powers relate to the k values, but am unsure what the q is about. I'm sorry if I'm asking too much, just really need to get this done.

It is not clear from what you wrote whether ##q_k = (-1)^k x^{k}/k!## of if ##q_k = \sum_{j=0,2, \ldots k} (-1)^j x^j/j!.## In other words, is ##q_k## the ##k##th term, or is it the ##k##th partial sum?
 

1. What is the purpose of finding ∫qk(x)dx for k = 2,6,10,14 in approximating ∫sin(x^2)dx?

The purpose of finding ∫qk(x)dx for k = 2,6,10,14 is to use the trapezoidal rule to approximate the integral ∫sin(x^2)dx. This allows for a numerical estimation of the integral rather than finding the exact value analytically.

2. How does the trapezoidal rule work in approximating integrals?

The trapezoidal rule divides the area under a curve into trapezoids and calculates the area of each trapezoid using the average of the function values at the two endpoints. The sum of these areas gives an approximation of the integral.

3. How is the trapezoidal rule applied to find ∫qk(x)dx for k = 2,6,10,14?

In this case, the trapezoidal rule is applied by dividing the interval [2,14] into subintervals with a fixed width of 4 (since k increases by 4 each time). The function values at the endpoints of each subinterval are used to calculate the area of the trapezoid, which gives the value of ∫qk(x)dx for k = 2,6,10,14.

4. What is the significance of using k = 2,6,10,14 in the trapezoidal rule approximation?

The values of k = 2,6,10,14 are chosen to ensure that the subintervals are of equal width and that the number of subintervals is large enough to provide an accurate approximation of the integral. This allows for a more precise estimation of the integral compared to using fewer or non-uniform subintervals.

5. Is the trapezoidal rule the only method for approximating ∫sin(x^2)dx?

No, there are other numerical methods for approximating integrals such as Simpson's rule and the midpoint rule. However, the trapezoidal rule is often used as it is relatively simple to apply and provides a good balance between accuracy and computational efficiency.

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