MAT 111 College Algebra

Summation

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye

MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw)

May 19, 2022

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 1 / 15
 Summation

Consider the following series

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + · · · + 100

where the three dots signify the obvious missing terms. Clearly, this is
the sum of whole numbers from 1 to 100. Now, we write the number
as k, where k ∈ Z. Thus, the series above can be written as
100
X
k
k=1

So this expression is read as the sum of all the terms k where k

takes values from 1 to 100.
The symbol Σ is the Greek capital letter Sigma corresponding to our
letter ’S’, and refers to the first letter of the word ”Sum”.

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 2 / 15
 Summation

100
X
Now, when evaluating k, first put k = 1, to get 1. Then set
k=1
k = 2, which gives 2, and the total of 1 + 2 = 3. Then set k = 3,
which yields 3 and adding again gives 1 + 2 + 3 = 6. Continuing this
way until k = 100, we get 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + · · · + 100.
Thus,
100
X
k = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + · · · + 100
k=1

Similarly,
50 10
X X 1 1 1 1 1
2r = 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 + · · · + 100, 2
= + + +···+
k 1 4 9 100
r =1 k=1

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 3 / 15
 Summations

Note that
1 We do not need to start from k = 1 or indeed use letter k e.g.
8
X
= (4p − 1) = (−9) + (−5) + (−1) + · · · + 31
p=−2

2 Upper or letter limit may also be a variable, e.g.

n
X
k 2 = 12 + 22 + 32 + · · · + n2
k=1

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 4 / 15
 Rules for Summations
1. If we sum a constant n times, then we can write
X n
c = c + c + c + · · · + c = nc
| {z }
k=1 n times
2. If we sum a constant times k, then we write
X n n
X
ck = (c×1)+(c×2)+· · ·+(c×n) = c×(1+2+3+· · ·+n) = c k
k=1 k=1
3. If we sum k plus a constant, then we write
Xn
(k + c) = (1 + c) + (2 + c) + · · · + (n + c)
k=1
= (c + c + · · · + c ) + (1 + 2 + · · · + n)
| {z }
ntimes
n
X
= nc + k
k=1
Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 5 / 15
 Rules for Summations

4. If we have a function g (k) of k and constants a and b. Then we can

write
(i)
n
X n
X
(g (k) + c) = nc + g (k)
k=1 k=1

(ii)
n
X n
X
(ag (k) + c) = nc + a g (k)
k=1 k=1

5. If we have two functions f (k) and g (k) of k, then we can write

n
X n
X n
X
(f (k) + g (k)) = f (k) + g (k)
k=1 k=1 k=1

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 6 / 15
 Summations

The following summations are very useful

n
X n(n + 1)
k = 1 + 2 + 3 + ··· + n =
2
k=1

n
X n(n + 1)(2n + 1)
k 2 = 12 + 22 + 32 + · · · + n2 =
6
k=1
n
X n2 (n + 1)2
k 3 = 13 + 23 + 33 + · · · + n3 =
4
k=1

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 7 / 15
 Summations
Example
P5
Expand k=1 (2n − 3)

Solution
Setting n successively equal to 1,2,3,4 and 5, we have
5
X
(2n − 3) = −1 + 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 = 15
k=1

Similarly, we can use the properties and the special formula to compute
the sum:
5 5 5 5 8
X X X X X 5(5 + 1)
(2n − 3) = 2n − 3=2 n− 3=2· −5·3
2
n=1 n=1 k=1 n=1 n=1
= 30 − 15 = 15
Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 8 / 15
 Summations

Example
Evaluate the sum
9
X
(5k + 8)
k=1

Solution

9
X 9
X 9
X 9
X 9
X
(5k + 8) = 5k + 8=5 k+ 8
k=1 k=1 k=1 k=1 k=1
9(9 + 1)
=5· + 9 · 8 = 5 · 45 + 72 = 297
2

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 9 / 15
 Summations
Example
12
X
Evaluate the sum (k + 1)
k=7

Solution

12
X 12
X 12
X
(k + 1) = k+ 1
k=7 k=7 k=7
12 k=6 12 6
! !
X X X X
= k− k + 1− 1
k=1 k=1 k=1 k=1
 
12(12 + 1) 6(6 + 1)
= − + (12 · 1 − 6 · 1)
2 2
= (78 − 21) + 6 = 63
Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 10 / 15
 Summations

Example
Evaluate 1 + 5 + 10 + 15 + 20 + · · · + 240 + 245

Solution
We re-write the sum as
1 + 5 + 10 + 15 + 20 + · · · + 245 = 1 + 5(1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + · · · + 49)
49
!
X
=1+5· k
k=1
49(49 + 1)
=1+5
2
= 1 + 5(1, 225)
= 6, 125

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 11 / 15
 Summations

Example
Evaluate −5 − 4 − 3 − 2 − 1 + 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + · · · + 30

Solution

−5 − 4 − 3 − 2 − 1 + 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + · · · + 30
= −(5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1) + 0 + (1 + 2 + 3 + · · · + 30)
5 30
! !
X X
=− k +0+ k
k=1 k=1
5(5 + 1) 30(30 + 1)
=− +0+
2 2
= −15 + 0 + 465
= 450

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 12 / 15
 Practice Problems

Write the following sums in sigma notation

1 1 + 2 + 3 + · · · + 100
2 2 + 4 + 6 + · · · + 50
1 1 1 1
3 1+ 2 + 4 + 9 + ··· + 100
1 1 1 1
4 −1 − 2 − 4 − 9 − · · · − 100
5 12 + 22 + 3 2 + 42 + 52 + 62
1 1 1 1
6 −1 + 2 − 3 + 4 − ··· + 100
7 −1 + 2 − 3 + 4 − 5 + 6 − + · · · + 20
8 (x1 − µ)2 + (x2 − µ)2 + (x3 − µ)3 + (x4 − µ)4

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 13 / 15
 Practice Problems
Write out the sums given by the following sigma notations
X10
1 k2
k=1
4
X 1
2
(2k + 1)(2k + 3)
k=1
10
X
3 (2n + 1)
n=1
X50
4 2n
n=0
4
X (−1)k+1
5
2k + 1
k=1
6
X 1
6 r (r + 1)
2
r =1
Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 14 / 15
 Practice Problems

100
X
1 Evaluate (2 + 5k)
k=3
2 Evaluate 24 + 27 + 30 + 33 + 36 + · · · + 90
X8
3 Evaluate (5k 2 + 8k + 1)
k=1
100
X
4 (k 2 − 4
k=3
n
X 4n(n − 1)(2n + 1)(3n2 + 3n − 1)
5 If k4 = .
A
k=1
What is the value of A?
(Hint: Substitute a convenient value of n to help you evaluate A)

Eric Sylvester Mwanandiye MSc.(China), BSc.(Mw) MAT 111 College Algebra May 19, 2022 15 / 15