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Task Performance 1 Integral Calculus Prelims

The document discusses Riemann sums, which are approximations of integrals using finite sums. Riemann sums partition an area into rectangles or other shapes and add their areas to estimate the total area. The more shapes used, the closer the approximation gets to the true integral. An example calculates a left Riemann sum to estimate the area under a quadratic function.

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DK Panganiban
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212 views3 pages

Task Performance 1 Integral Calculus Prelims

The document discusses Riemann sums, which are approximations of integrals using finite sums. Riemann sums partition an area into rectangles or other shapes and add their areas to estimate the total area. The more shapes used, the closer the approximation gets to the true integral. An example calculates a left Riemann sum to estimate the area under a quadratic function.

Uploaded by

DK Panganiban
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Panganiban, Denniel Keanu N.

BSCPE 1A

The Riemann Sum


In mathematics, a Riemann sum is a certain kind of approximation of an integral by a finite sum. It is
named after nineteenth century German mathematician Bernhard Riemann. One very common
application is approximating the area of functions or lines on a graph, but also the length of curves and
other approximations.

The sum is calculated by partitioning the region into shapes (rectangles, trapezoids, parabolas, or cubics)
that together form a region that is similar to the region being measured, then calculating the area for
each of these shapes, and finally adding all of these small areas together. This approach can be used to
find a numerical approximation for a definite integral even if the fundamental theorem of calculus does
not make it easy to find a closed-form solution.

Because the region filled by the small shapes is usually not exactly the same shape as the region being
measured, the Riemann sum will differ from the area being measured. This error can be reduced by
dividing up the region more finely, using smaller and smaller shapes. As the shapes get smaller and
smaller, the sum approaches the Riemann integral.

So imagine you are given this equation: f(x) = x^2. Your interval is [0,5] and n = 5. For the purposes of
simplicity, I am going to demonstrate a Left Riemann Sum.

1. Understand the information that the question gives you.

Equation: f(x) = x^2 Interval: [a,b] and in the case of this problem [1,5] - these are the parameters for the
section under the curve that you are estimating N: n=4 - this number determines how many rectangles
you are splitting the section under the curve into. (Note: More rectangles = more precision, but also
means more work)

2. Find Δx: the width of each of your rectangles.

3. Find the height of each rectangle: where the top left (for a Left Riemann Sum) corner of each
rectangles meets the curve.

(**If you were to take a Right Riemann Sum you would use the top right corner of each rectangle and if
you were to use a Midpoint Riemann Sum the height would be where the middle of each rectangle hit
the curve)

Our heights for this specific problem would be 1, 4, 9, and 16


4. Find the area of each rectangle, and add them together.

(1)(1) + (1)(4) + (1)(9) + (1)(16) = 30

A = Δx( f(x1) + f(x2) + f(x3)...)

^In simplest terms, this equation will help you solve any Riemann Sum. Note that all the steps are the
same for Right Riemann Sums except for #3. Just remember to use the top left corner of your rectangles
for each Left Riemann Sum and the top right corner for each Right Riemann Sum.

A Riemann sum is an approximation of a region's area, obtained by adding up the areas of multiple
simplified slices of the region. It is applied in calculus to formalize the method of exhaustion, used to
determine the area of a region. This process yields the integral, which computes the value of the area
exactly.

EXAMPLE: FINDING LOWER AND UPPER SUMS

1. Find a lower sum for f(x) = 10 – on [1, 2); use n = 4 subintervals.

Solution

With n= 4 over the Interval (1, 2), Ar =. We can list the Intervals as [1, 1.25), [1.25, 1.5), [1.5, 1.75), [1.75,
2|. Because the function is decreasing over the Interval [1, 2). (Figure 14) shows that a lower sum is
obtained by using the right endpoints.
The graph of f(x) =10 − x^2 is set up for a right-endpoint approximation of the area bounded by the
curve and the x-axis on [1, 2] [1, 2], and it shows a lower sum.

The Riemann sum is

∑4k=1(10 − x2)(0.25) = 0.25[10 − (1.25)2 + 10 − (1.5)2 + 10 − (1.75)2 + 10 − (2)2]

=0.25[8.4375+7.75+6.9375+6]

=7.28

The area of 7.28 is a lower sum and an underestimate.

2. Find an upper sum for f(x) =10−x2f(x)=10−x2 on [1,2][1,2]; let n=4n=4.


- Sketch the approximation.

Solution

a. Upper sum = 8.0313


b.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riemann_sum#:~:text=In%20mathematics%2C%20a%20Riemann%20sum
%20is%20a%20certain,also%20the%20length%20of%20curves%20and%20other%20approximations.

https://library.fiveable.me/ap-calc/faqs/riemann-sum/blog/CMEaQCN3PKenk1sLBfwY

https://brilliant.org/wiki/riemannsums/#:~:text=A%20Riemann%20sum%20is%20an%20approximation
%20of%20a,which%20computes%20the%20value%20of%20the%20area%20exactly

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/calculus1/chapter/riemann-sums/

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