Sum of the first n square numbers:

Build an n × n table with the numbers 1, 2, . . . , n in every row:

1
HH 2 3 4 ... n
1 HH
H 2 3 4 ... n A
1 2 H3
H 4 ... n S =A+B
.. H
.. .. HH.. ..
B . . . .H .
H
1 2 3 4 H. H .. n

n n
X 1 X
S =A+B =n k = n2 (n + 1), A = 1 · 1 + 2 · 2 + ··· + n · n = k2,
k=1
2 k=1

n−1 X
k n−1 n n−1
X X 1X 2 1X 1
B= m= 1
2
k(k + 1) = k + k − n2
k=1 m=1 k=1
2 k=1 2 k=1 2
n n
1X 2 1 1 1X 2 1
= k + n(n − 1) − n2 = k − n(n + 1)
2 k=1 4 2 2 k=1 4

n n
X 1 1X 2 1
k = A = S − B = n2 (n + 1) −
2
k + n(n + 1)
k=1
2 2 k=1 4
n
X 1 1
3 k 2 = n2 (n + 1) + n(n + 1) = n(n + 1)(2n + 1) ⇒
k=1
2 2

n
X 1
k 2 = n(n + 1)(2n + 1)
k=1
6

1
This method can be used to determine the sum of nk=1 k p : Instead of the numbers
P
1, 2, . . . , n write the numbers 1p−1 , 2p−1 , . . . , np−1 in the table, and utilise the formerly
computed formulas for the lower powers. For p = 3 you obtain:

n n
1
X X
S =A+B =n k = n2 (n + 1)(2n + 1),
2
A= k3,
k=1
6 k=1

n−1 X
X k n−1
X
2 1
B= m = 6
k(k + 1)(2k + 1)
k=1 m=1 k=1
n n−1 n−1
1X 3 1 1X 2 1X
= k − n3 + k + k
3 k=1 3 2 k=1 6 k=1
n
1X 3 1 3 1 1
= k − n + (n − 1)n(2n − 1) + (n − 1)n
3 k=1 3 12 12
n
1X 3 1 3 1
= k − n + (n − 1)n2
3 k=1 3 6
n
1X 3 1 2
= k − n (n + 1)
3 k=1 6

n n
X 1 1X 3 1 2
k 3 = A = S − B = n2 (n + 1)(2n + 1) − k + n (n + 1)
k=1
6 3 k=1
6
n
X 1
4 k 3 = n2 (n + 1)(2n + 2) ⇒
k=1
2

n
X 1
k 3 = n2 (n + 1)2
k=1
4

2
There is a general formula for the sum of powers k p :

n
np+1 np 1 p
     
X
p p−1 1 p p−3 1 p
k = + + B2 n + B4 n + B6 np−5 + . . .
k=1
p + 1 2 2 1 4 3 6 5

where the Bi are the Bernoulli-numbers:

n Bn n Bn
0 1 8 −1/30
2 1/6 10 5/66
4 −1/30 12 −691/2730
6 1/42 14 7/6

For example:
n
X n3 n2 1 1 1 1
k2 = + + · 2 · n = n(2n2 + 3n + 1) = n(n + 1)(2n + 1)
k=1
3 2 2 6 6 6

n
X n4 n3 1 1 1 1
k3 = + + · 3 · n2 = n2 (n2 + n + 1) = n2 (n + 1)2
k=1
4 2 2 6 4 4