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Series and sums

Partial sums, closed forms and convergence.

A sum with finitely many terms has a closed form found by pattern or induction; an infinite series converges when its partial sums approach a limit. Σ 1/n² = π²/6 is the Basel problem, Euler's first famous result.

Worked example · sum of 1/n^2 for n = 1 to oo

Calculus · Series-And-Sums

Sum n^(-2) for n = 1 to oo

\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{2}}

Step by step

  1. \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{2}}

    Write the sum out.

  2. 1 + \frac{1}{4} + \frac{1}{9} + \frac{1}{16} + \cdots

    The first few terms.

  3. S_{3} \approx 1.3611, S_{6} \approx 1.4914, S_{11} \approx 1.5580, S_{51} \approx 1.6255

    Partial sums approach the limit.

  4. = \frac{\pi^{2}}{6} \approx 1.6449

    Infinite series: this converges, and the closed form is the limit of the partial sums.

Reveal the answer
\frac{\pi^{2}}{6}

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How to: Series and sums

  1. Write the sum out.
  2. The first few terms.
  3. Partial sums approach the limit.
  4. Infinite series: this converges, and the closed form is the limit of the partial sums.

Questions people ask

What is a derivative in one sentence?

The slope of the graph at a point, the rate at which the output is changing there. Speed is the derivative of position.

What is an integral in one sentence?

The accumulated total of a rate: the area under the curve. Distance travelled is the integral of speed.

Why are derivatives and integrals opposites?

That is the fundamental theorem of calculus: accumulating a rate and then measuring how fast the accumulation grows gets you back the rate. Integration undoes differentiation up to a constant.

When do I use substitution and when integration by parts?

Substitution when part of the integrand is the derivative of another part (u and du both present). Parts when the integrand is a product of two unrelated kinds of function, a polynomial times an exponential, log or trig function.

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