Summation Approximations

Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

Not an approximation, but still a useful method of solving certain summations. For a constant variable x:
Z n1
n1
X
X
d
i1
ix
=
ixi1 dx
(1)
dx
i=1
i=1
!
n1 Z
d X
=
ixi1 dx
(2)
dx
=

d
dx

i=1
n1
X

xi



d xn 1
1
dx x 1
(n 1)xn nxn1 + 1
=
(x 1)2
=

(3)

i=1

(4)
(5)

Harmonic Sum
n
X
1
i=1

=1+

1 1 1 1 1 1
+ + + + + + ...
2 3 4 5 6 7

(6)

To approximate this sum, take the first element as-is. Now because the
function is strictly decreasing, the sum of any block of consecutive terms
in the sequence can be upper-bounded by the length of the block times the
first element.
Using this approach, upper-bound 1/3 to 1/2, (1/5, 1/6, 1/7) each to
1/4, and so on and so forth. For every element (1/2)j , upper-bound the
next 2j 1 elements to the first. This divides the entire summation into a
number of blocks, where each block adds up to 1. The number of blocks is
lg(n + 1), so therefore
n
X
lg(n + 1)
(7)
i=1

Summation Approximations
3

Geometric Approximation

For a strictly increasing or decreasing function, its summation can be approximated by a geometric series.
2
X
i
i=1

2i

1 4 9 16 25 36
+ + +
+
+
+ ...
2 4 8 16 32 64

(8)

Notice that for this summation, the terms begin decreasing at i = 3. An

approximation can be taken by bounding the summation at this point with
a geometric series. Taking the ratio of consecutive terms,
(i + 1)2


i+1
1
1 2
2
r=
=
1+
(9)
2
i
i2
2i
Better approximations can be achieved by increasing i and adding in the
sum of excluded terms.

Integral Approximation

For strictly increasing or decreasing functions, summations can be bounded

both above and below by integrals.

m1

m1

n+1

For an increasing f ,
Z n
f (x)dx
m1

and for a decreasing f ,

Z n+1
f (x)dx
m

n
X

f (i)

n+1
X

f (x)dx

f (i)

i=m

(10)

i=m

n
X

n+1

f (x)dx
m1

(11)