13.

6 SIGMA NOTATION

To represent series using sigma notation

The Greek letter ∑ is often used in mathematics to
express a series or its sum in abbreviated form.
For example ;
100
represents the series whose terms
k 1
k 2
are obtained by evaluating

k 2 first for k  1 then k  2...so on until k  100 that is;

100

k 2
 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ...+ 100
2 2 2 2 2

k1
100 The symbol is read as the sum of k2 for
 k
k 1
2
values of k from 1 to100.
In the sigma notation ‘k2’ is called
the summend , the numbers 1 and
100 are called the limits of summend
and the symbol k is called the index
Σ notation can also be used to represent a
finite series and its sum. For example;

5 n 1 2 3 4 5
æ 1ö æ 1ö æ 1ö æ 1ö æ 1ö æ 1ö
 çè - 2 ÷ø  çè - 2 ÷ø + çè - 2 ÷ø + çè - 2 ÷ø + çè - 2 ÷ø + çè - 2 ÷ø
n1

1 1 1 1 1 11
= - + - + - -
2 4 8 16 32 32
 When you get used to using sigma notation you’ll find it much
easier than manipulating a series that is written in expanded form.

PROPERTIES OF FINITE SUMS:

n n n
1. (a + b )   a +  b
i i i i
i1 i1 i1

n n
2.  ca  c a i i
i1 i1
Some special sums;
n
n(n + 1)
SUM OF INTEGERS : k  2
k1

n
n(n + 1)(2n + 1)
SUM OF SQUARES: k  2

6
k1
2
é n(n + 1) ù
n

SUM OF CUBES:  k  êë 2 úû
3

k1
Give each series in expanded form (and use the formula in 1 & 2)

1.

2.

3.
Express the given series below in sigma notation
and evaluate:

1× 2 + 3× 4 + 5 × 6 + ... +199 × 200

 When you get used to using sigma notation you’ll find it much
easier than manipulating a series that is written in expanded form.

PROPERTIES OF FINITE SUMS:

n n n
1. å(a + b ) = å a + å b
i i i i
i=1 i=1 i=1

n n
2. å ca = cå a i i
i=1 i=1
Some special sums;
n
n(n + 1)
SUM OF INTEGERS : åk = 2
k=1

n
n(n + 1)(2n + 1)
SUM OF SQUARES: åk = 2

6
k=1
2
é n(n + 1) ù
n

SUM OF CUBES: å k = êë 2 úû
3

k=1
 Express each of the following series using sigma notation.
7. The arithmetic series: 3 + 6 + 9 + … + 300
Adds 3 every time:
Last term is 300 so
Evaluate: Number of terms you are adding: (n)
Upper limit – lower limit +1

7+7+7+7+7+7+7+7+7=10*7=70 n=10

7+7+7+7+7+7+7+7+7+7=11*7=77 n=11

7+7+7+7+7+7+7+7+7+7+7=12*7=84 n=12
If the summation index does not begin with 1, we use sum or difference of the
summations to write the series .

Example:

Arithmetic series: Arithmetic series:

Or Or

Total Sum of