SECTION 4.

2 THE DEFINITE INTEGRAL ■ 1

4.2 THE DEFINITE INTEGRAL

EXAMPLE A
■ Because f x  x is positive, the
4 (a) Set up an expression for x25 x 4 dx as a limit of sums.
integral in Example A represents the area (b) Use a computer algebra system to evaluate the expression.
shown in Figure 1.
SOLUTION
y
(a) Here we have f x  x 4, a  2, b  5, and

ba 3
y=x$ x  
n n
300
So x0  2, x 1  2  3n, x 2  2  6n, x 3  2  9n, and

3i
xi  2 
n
0 2 5 x
From Equation 3, we get
FIGURE 1

y
5

2
x 4 dx  lim
n

 f x  x  lim  f
n l  i1
i
n l  i1
n

 
2
3i
n
3
n

 lim
nl
3
n

n

i1
  2
3i
n
4

(b) If we ask a computer algebra system to evaluate the sum and simplify, we obtain


n

i1
  2
3i
n
4

2062n 4  3045n 3  1170n 2  27
10n 3

Now we ask the CAS to evaluate the limit:

y2
5
x 4 dx  lim
nl
3
n

n

i1
 
2
3i
n
4
 lim
nl
32062n 4  3045n 3  1170n 2  27
10n 4

32062 3093
   618.6
10 5

We will learn a much easier method for the evaluation of integrals in the next
section. ■
Thomson Brooks-Cole copyright 2007