Section 6.

4 - Sigma Notation; Area as a Limit

THEOREM:
n
X n(n + 1)
(a) k = 1 + 2 + ... + n =
k=1
2
n
X n(n + 1)(2n + 1)
(b) k 2 = 12 + 22 + . . . + n2 =
k=1
6
n  2
X
3 3 3 n(n + 1) 3
(c) k = 1 + 2 + ... + n =
k=1
2

Let f (x) be a continuous function on [a, b]. We divide the interval [a, b] into n subintervals
by inserting n − 1 equally spaced points between a and b, say

x1 , x2 , . . . , xn−1

Each of these subintervals has width

b−a
∆x =
n
In each subinterval we choose an x-value at which we evaluate the function f to determine the
height of a rectangle over the interval. We denote these values by

x∗1 , x∗2 , . . . , x∗n

The areas of rectangles constructed over these intervals will be

f (x∗1 )∆x, f (x∗2 )∆x, . . . , f (x∗n )∆x

and the total area An of the region Rn will be

n
X
An = f (x∗1 )∆x + f (x∗2 )∆x + ... + f (x∗n )∆x = f (x∗k )∆x
k=1

REMARK: We have
x∗k = xk−1 = a + (k − 1)∆x if x∗k is the left endpoint

x∗k = xk = a + k∆x if x∗k is the right endpoint (∗)

 
∗ 1 1
xk = (xk−1 + xk ) = a + k − ∆x if x∗k is the midpoint
2 2

DEFINITION (Area Under a Curve): If a function f is continuous on [a, b] and if f (x) ≥ 0

for all x in [a, b], then the area under the curve y = f (x) over the interval [a, b] is defined by
n
X
A = lim f (x∗k )∆x
n→+∞
k=1
EXAMPLE: Find the left endpoint, right endpoint, and midpoint approximations of the area
under the curve y = 9 − x2 over the interval [0, 3] with n = 10, n = 20, and n = 50.

EXAMPLE: Use the Definition with x∗k as the midpoint of each subinterval to find the area
under the parabola y = 9 − x2 and over the interval [0, 3].

SOLUTION: Each subinterval will have length

b−a 3−0 3
∆x = = =
n n n
and from (∗)     
1 1 3
x∗k =a+ k− ∆x = k−
2 2 n
Thus, "
 2  2 #  

1 3 3
f (x∗k )∆x = [9 − (x∗k )2 ]∆x = 9 − k −
2 n n
      
1 9 3
= 9 − k2 − k +
4 n2 n
27 27 2 27 27
= − 3k + 3k − 3
n n n 4n
and therefore
n n  
X X 27 27 27 27
f (x∗k )∆x = − 3 k2 + 3 k − 3
k=1 k=1
n n n 4n
n n n n
X 27 X 27 2
X 27 X 27
= − k + k−
k=1
n k=1
n3 k=1
n 3
k=1
4n3
n n n n
27 X 27 X 27 X 2 27 X
= 1− 3 k + 3 k− 3 1
n k=1 n k=1 n k=1 4n k=1
" n n n n
#
1X 1 X 2 1 X 1 X
= 27 1− 3 k + 3 k− 3 1
n k=1 n k=1 n k=1 4n k=1
 
1 1 n(n + 1)(2n + 1) 1 n(n + 1) 1
= 27 n − 3 + 3 − 3n
n n 6 n 2 4n
 
(n + 1)(2n + 1) n + 1 1
= 27 1 − + −
6n2 2n2 4n2
It follows that n
X
A = lim f (x∗k )∆x
n→+∞
k=1
 
(n + 1)(2n + 1) n + 1 1
= lim 27 1 − + − 2
n→+∞ 6n2 2n2 4n
   
1 1 2
= 27 1 − + 0 − 0 = 27 1 − = 27 · = 18
3 3 3