National University-Manila

College of Engineering
Electrical Engineering Department

NUMERICAL METHODS WITH COMPUTER

APPLICATIONS LABORATORY
FNUMENL ELEP12
3rd Term SY 2020-21

TRAPEZOIDAL AND SIMPSON METHOD

( Title )

Laboratory Activity No. 3

Submitted by
De Castro, Gabriel I.
BSEE
SN: 2019-101277

Submitted to
Dr. Rogelio B. Aniez, Jr., PEE
Professor

Date Submitted : June 15, 2021

 TRAPEZOIDAL AND SIMPSON’S METHOD

Laboratory Activity 3

Objectives:

1.To familiarize more on the history and theory of trapezoidal and simpson. To
understand the formula, use on computing the trapezoidal and simpson. How it looks
in the figure when it is being graph.

2. Integrate discrete functions by several methods. Derive the formula for trapezoidal
rule with unequal segments and derive the formula for Simpson’s 1/3 rule of
integration. Solve example on finding integrals of discrete functions and solve
example that uses multiple-segment Simpson’s 1/3 rule of integration by the use of
excel program

Introduction:

History

Trapezoidal Methods

The people who first used the trapezoidal rule on the real line for numerical
calculation of integrals may have been the early British statisticians, who were
concerned with the estimation of moments of a distribution such as mean, variance,
skewness, and kurtosis. The first publication we have found that discusses the
matter is Aitken’s 1939 book Statistical Mathematics. Though Aitken does not speak
of geometric convergence or state general theorems, he touches upon the same
issues we have dis-cussed in sections 5 and 6, and we hope the reader looking will
share some of the pleasure we felt in encountering this material in Aitken’s book. A
more focused analysis of the fast convergence of the trapezoidal rule on the real line
appears in a paper by Turing written in 1939 and published in 1943. Turing’s aim
was a numerical exploration of the Riemann hypothesis, and he introduced a method
for evaluating the zeta function based on the trapezoidal rule applied to a smooth
function on the real line. He wrote, “We approximate to the integral by the obvious
sum ∑Kk=−K1Kh (kK) and we find that...this gives a remarkably accurate result;
when the number of terms taken isT = 2K+ 1 the error is of the order of magnitude
ofe−12πT.” He derived a bound with the flavor of Theorem 5.1, with a proof using
contour integrals, and alluded to the use of the trapezoidal rule on more general
contours.

Furthermore, Trapezoidal Rule is a rule that evaluates the area under the
curves by dividing the total area into smaller trapezoids rather than using rectangles.
This integration works by approximating the region under the graph of a function as a
trapezoid, and it calculates the area. This rule takes the average of the left and the
right sum.
The Trapezoidal Rule does not give accurate value as Simpson’s Rule when
the underlying function is smooth. It is because Simpson’s Rule uses the quadratic
approximation instead of linear approximation. Both Simpson’s Rule and Trapezoidal
Rule give the approximation value, but Simpson’s Rule results in even more
accurate approximation value of the integrals.

Figure 1.
Graphical Representation of Trapezoidal Rule

To understand the formula derived from trapezoidal rule lets have an example
of the derivation. For instance, let f(x) be a continuous function on the interval [a, b].
Now divide the intervals [a, b] into n equal subintervals with each of width,
Δx = (b-a)/n, Such that a = x0 < x1< x2< x3<…..<xn = b
Then the Trapezoidal Rule formula for area approximating the definite
integral ∫baf(x)dx is given by:
∫baf(x)dx≈Tn=△x2[f(x0)+2f(x1)+2f(x2)+….2f(xn−1)+f(xn)]
Where, xi = a+iΔx
If n →∞, R.H.S of the expression approaches the definite integral ∫baf(x)dx
Simpson’s method

Simpson’s rule for estimating definite integrals is named after Thomas

Simpson (1710 – 1761), who published it in 1743. However, Simpson was not the
first to discover the rule; Bonaventura Cavalieri (1598 – 1647) found a version of it as
early as 1639, and James Gregory (1638-1675) published it in 1668. Gregory also
discovered another family of numerical integration rules that will come up in the
course of our investigations.

Simpson is best remembered for his work on interpolation and numerical

methods of integration. However, the numerical method known today as "Simpson's
rule", although it did appear in his work, was something he learned from  Newton as
Simpson himself acknowledged. By way of compensation, however, the Newton-
Raphson method for solving the equation f(x)=0  is, in its present form, due to
Simpson. Newton described an algebraic process for solving polynomial equations
which Raphson later improved. The method of approximating the roots did not use
the differential calculus. The modern iterative form xn+1 = xn− ( f(xn) /f′(xn) ) is due
to Simpson, who published it in 1740.

Procedures:

Step 1 Open a new excel program then add new sheet for this activity.
Step 2 Rename the new sheet as TRAPEZOIDALSIMPSON.
Step 3 Create Table and arrange the given data values in each cell row and column
and somehow, we insert text box for manual computation for the first iteration.
Step 4 after we arrange, in column h find their value by the use of this formula h =

b−a
,
n
Step 5 In column Xj used this formula X j = a + jh, in each iteration on this activity.
1
Step 6 Solve for f(x) in the given integral, after we get this f(x) = apply it on
1+ x ²
excel program in column f(x) in each row until iteration 80.
Step 7 After 80 iteration get the Trapezoidal by the used of this formula T n ( f )=h ¿

1
f ( x 1 ) + f ( x 2 )+...+ f ( x n−1 )+ f ( x n ¿ ¿ in column Tn.
2
h
Step 8 After 80 iteration get the Simpson by the used of this formula Sn(f) = [f ( x0 ) +
3
4 f ( x 1 ) + 2 f ( x 2 ) + 4 f ( x 3 ) + 2 f ( x 4 )+....+ 2 f ( x n−1 ) + 4 f ( x n−1 ) in column Sn.

Data:
 Observation/Discussion:

About the method and excel program

I observe that the trapezoidal rule is used to approximate the integral of a

function. The rule involves treating the area under a curve as a series of trapezoidal
slices. Implementing this rule in Excel requires inputting a curve's independent and
dependent values, setting integration limits, setting slice parameters, and using a
function to determine area.
 Trapezoidal rule works by approximating the function f(x) by a piecewise
linear function and evaluate the integral of each piece. If the interval [a, b] is divided

b−a
up into n equal subinterval, each of width h = , and the for the Simpson’s rule is
n
very much similar to that of the trapezoidal rule, but it differs when computing the
Simpson’s value itself it has own formula.

Conclusion:

I therefore concluded that the Trapezoidal Rule does not give accurate value
as Simpson’s Rule when the underlying function is smooth. It is because Simpson’s
Rule uses the quadratic approximation instead of linear approximation. Both
Simpson’s Rule and Trapezoidal Rule give the approximation value, but Simpson’s
Rule results in even more accurate approximation value of the integrals.

However, Simpson's rule is a method of numerical integration which is a good

deal more accurate than the Trapezoidal rule and should always be used before you
try anything fancier. It also divides the area under the function to be integrated, f(x),
into vertical strips, but instead of joining the points f(xi) with straight lines, every set
of three such successive points is fitted with a parabola.

Reference/s:

https://epubs.siam.org/doi/pdf/10.1137/130932132

https://www.jstor.org/stable/30037470#:~:text=Simpson's%20rule%20for
%20estimating%20definite,77%5D.

https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Simpson/
https://math.libretexts.org/Courses/Mount_Royal_University/MATH
_2200%3A_Calculus_for_Scientists_II/2%3A_Techniques_of_Integra
tion/2.5%3A_Numerical_Integration_-_Midpoint%2C_Trapezoid
%2C_Simpson's_rule
https://www.dsprelated.com/showarticle/1358.php
https://math.dartmouth.edu/~m3cod/klbookLectures/406unit/trap.
pdf