Sigma Notation

Grade 12 CAPE UNIT 1

 At the end of this topic you should be able to:

expand a sum given in sigma notation into an explicit sum;

write an explicit sum in sigma notation where there is an

obvious pattern to the individual terms;

use rules to manipulate sums expressed in sigma notation.

The greek capital letter sigma, ‘∑’, means ‘the sum of terms
such as’.

Sigma notation is a method used to write out a long sum in a

concise where there is an obvious pattern to the numbers
involved.

Example: 6

 r
r 1
2
 12
 2 2
 3 2
 4 2
 5 2
 6 2
 Sigma - A Greek letter
= ‘the sum of’

end term r=4 the sum of the

first 4 terms
r 4

r
r 1

start term r=1

Make r=1, r=2, r=3, and r=4
r 4

r 
r 1
1+2+3+4 = 10
 = ‘the sum of’
the sum of the
end term r=6 first 6 terms
r 6

 3r
r 1

start term r=1

Make r=1, r=2, …, r=6
r 6

 3r  3 1  3  2  3  3  3  4  3  5  3  6
r 1
= 3 + 6 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 18 = 63
 = ‘the sum of’
end term r=5 the sum of the
first 5 terms

start term r=1

Make r=1, r=2, ...., r = 5
r 5

 4r  1  4 1  1  4  2  1  4  3  1  4  4  1  4  5  1
r 1

= 3 + 7 + 11 + 15 + 19 = 55
 = ‘the sum of’
the sum of the
end term r=3 first 3 terms
r 3

 2r  5
2

r 1

start term r=1

Make r=1, r=2, r=3
r 3

  2 1  5  2  2  5  2  3  5
2 2 2 2
( 2 r  5)
r 1
= 7² + 9² + 11²
= 49 + 81 + 121
= 251
Determine the sum

 ( 
k 0
1) k
(2k  1)

  1 2(0)  1   1 2(1)  1   1 2(2)  1   1 2(3)  1   1 2(4)  1

0 1 2 3 4

 1 3  5  7  9

5
Exercises
Write out what is meant by

Evaluate

.
 Summation notation is an efficient way to describe a SUM
of terms, each having the same format. Consider the example:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
      
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
k
k 1

Each term has the

form
 Summation notation is an efficient way to describe a SUM
of terms, each having the same format. Consider the example:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
      
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
k
 k 1
Take the sum of
all terms of
this form
 Summation notation is an efficient way to describe a SUM
of terms, each having the same format. Consider the example:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
      
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
k
k 1
k 1

k starts at 1
 Summation notation is an efficient way to describe a SUM
of terms, each having the same format. Consider the example:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
      
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
8
k

k 1
k 1
k ends at 8
 Summation notation is an efficient way to describe a SUM
of terms, each having the same format. Consider the example:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
       =

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
8
k
k 1
k 1
More examples:

5
1  4  9  16  25   k 2
k 1

9
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9   (1) k 1
k
k 1

n
a1b1  a 2 b2  a3 b3    a n bn   a k bk
k 1
More examples:

5
1  4  9  16  25   k 2
k 1

9
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9   (1) k 1
k
k 1

n
a1b1  a 2 b2  a3 b3    a n bn   a k bk
k 1
More examples:

5
1  4  9  16  25   k 2

k 1

9
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9   (1) k 1
k
k 1
More examples:

5
1  4  9  16  25   k 2
k 1

9
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9   (1) k 1
k
k 1
Working in reverse -

Write this series in sigma notation

1 + 4 + 9 + 16 + 25

= 1² + 2² + 3² + 4² + 5²
r 5

r
r 1
2
Working in reverse -

Write this series in sigma notation

3 + 6 + 11 + 18 + 27
= (1+2) + (4+2) + (9+2) + (16+2) + (25+2)

= (1² +2)+ (2²+2) + (3²+2) + (4²+2) + (5²+2)

r 5

r
r 1
2
2
Find the Sigma Notation
9  15  21  27

6  7  8  9  ....

333333

2 5 8 11 14 17
    
3 9 27 81 243 729
Using the rules of
Sigma
RULES
Standard Rules
n
nn  1

r 1
r  1  2  3  ...  n 
2
n
nn  12n  1

r 1
2 2 2
r  1  2  3  ...  n  2

6
2

n n  1
n 2 2


r 1
3 3 3
r  1  2  3  ...  n  3

4
3
 Determine the sum

12 12

 2i
i 1
2
 2 i 2
i 1

12(12  1)( 2(12)  1) 

 2 
 6

12(13)( 25) 
 2 
 6 

 1300
Determine the sum

6 6 6

 r
r 1
2
 1   r 2  1
r 1 r 1

 6(7)(13) 
  6
 6 

 97
Determine the sum

6 6 6 6

 r  2   r 2  4 r   4
2

r 1 r 1 r 1 r 1

 6(7)(13)   6(7) 
   4   4(6)
 6   2 

 199
Additional Rule of Sigma
t n n

 f r    f (r )   f (r )
r 1 r  t 1 r 1
Determine the sum
25 7 25

  
r 2

r 1
 r 2

r 1
r 2

r 8
25
25 7
r
r 8
2
 r2  r2
r 1 r 1

 25(25  1)(2(25)  1)   7(7  1)2(7)  1

   
 6   6 
 25(26)(51)   7(8)15
   
 6   6 

 5525  140  5385

 QUESTION
n
nn  1 n
n(n  1)(2n  1)
Given that  r   2
and r 
r 1 2 r 1 6
Find 2n

a) r
r 1

2n
b)
 r
r 1
2

2n
c)
 r r  1
r 1
2n
And hence d)
 r r  1
r  n 1
 QUESTION

nn  1 n n  1
n n 2 2

Given that  r
2
, and 
r 1
3
r 
4
r 1

Find
n
n(n  1)(2n  1)
10
 r 2

a)
 2r r  1
r 1
r 1 6
25
b)  2r r  1
r 10
n
c)
  2r 
r 
r 1
r 2

2n
d)   2r 
r 
r 1
r 2
FOR PRACTICE

1) Sigma Worksheet

2) Also Exercise 3A,

Pages 52- 53