Muralidharan 1

Arjun Muralidharan

Mr. Acre

AP Calculus

27 March 2017

Riveting Riemann Sums

In the world of calculus, you will encounter a problem that not even your calculator can

solve. What do you do in that instance? Curl up in a ball? Cry? Pray that problem goes away?

No! Even though calculus is filled with many intricate problems that cannot be solved

with a calculator, there are powerful approximation and estimation methods that will allow you

to get a good idea of an answer without using an difficult techniques. One example of such

approximations is the Riemann sum.

The term Riemann sum is commonly used to describe any methods that estimate the

area under a curve. This sum is calculated by dividing the region under the curve into however

many intervals given, and within those intervals, shapessuch as rectangles, trapezoids, and

parabolasare inscribed. The region the shapes take up is similar to the region being measured,

and so when the area of all shapes inscribed within the region are summed, an estimation for the

area is made. This term is separated into three various methods: the actual Riemann sums, the

Trapezoid Rule, and the Simpsons Rule of approximation.

A Riemann sum is an approximation of the definite integral of f(x) with respect to x on

the interval [a,b] using rectangles to estimate areas. These rectangles have a base along the x-axis

and a height that coincides with the value of the function. These rectangles can be created in five

ways as there are five different types of Riemann Sums: left, right, midpoint, lower, and upper.
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In a left Riemann sum, the area is approximated using rectangles where the height of each

rectangle is equal to the value of the function at the left endpoint of its base. In a right Riemann

sum, the height of each rectangle is equal to the value of the function at the rightmost value of

the function in the interval. The midpoint method uses the middle value of the function within

the interval as the height. The upper method uses the maximum point on the curve in the interval

as the height of the rectangle, while the lower method uses the minimum point of the curve in the

interval as the height of the rectangle. In general, the formula for Riemann sums, if x is

equivalent in all the intervals, is:

A = (f (x0 ) + f (x1 ) + f (x2 ) + ... + f (xn )) x

There are alternative methods to approximating the area under the curve other than using

rectangles that are inscribed within the intervals. One alternate method is the Trapezoid Rule.

The Trapezoid Rule uses the sums of the area of trapezoids (how many ever intervals the region

of the curve is split into is how many trapezoids are inscribed). The area of a trapezoid can be
1
calculated by the formula, Atrap = 2
(b1 + b2) h . When the trapezoids are inscribed within an

interval, the two bases are the two values of the function where the interval starts and ends and

the height is the change in x. So to find the area of the inscribed trapezoid, the formula now
1
becomes Atrap = 2
(h1 + h2) x . All the trapezoids are then summed together to

approximate the area under the curve, Atrapezoids . This formula can be further written as:

1
A = 2
[f (x0 ) + 2f (x1 ) + 2f (x2 ) + ... + f (xn )] x

In the formula, the change in x can be found by subtracting the limits of the region and
ba
dividing it by the number of intervals, x = n
. In the formula, all but the first and last

heights are multiplied by two because their sides are shared by two trapezoids.
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Another method of approximation is Simpsons rule. Named after Thomas Simpson, the

methods involves inscribing parabolas within the intervals across the area of the region. The

curves of a parabola can fit much more accurately to other curves, so Simpsons Rule is often the

most accurate form of estimation. The formula for Simpsons Rule is:
1
A 3
h (y 0 + 4y 1 + 2y 2 + 4y 3 + 2y 4 + ... + 2y n2 + 4y n1 + y n )

ba
In this formula, h is the width of the interval and is calculated by n
(where n cannot be

an odd number). The y-values represent the output of the function; the first and last y-values are

not multiplied by anything, while the middle y-values are alternatively multiplied by four and

two.

These methods of approximating the area under the curve are all similar as they all

estimate the area through summation of many areas of shapes. In all of these methods, the area

that the methods calculates are not the actual area under the curve, but the error can be

minimized by using smaller intervals. As the number of shapes increase, the size of the shapes

become smaller, and the approximation becomes more precise. The difference between these

approximation methods lies in what shapes each uses: the Riemann sums use rectangles, the

Trapezoid Rule uses trapezoids, and the Simpsons Rule uses parabolas.

To see these awesome area approximation methods in action, an example is needed. Take

the graph, f (x) = (x 3)4 + 2(x 3)3 4(x 3) + 5 , on the interval from x = 1 to x = 5. The

five Riemann sums will estimate the area with two intervals, while the Trapezoid Rule and

Simpsons Rule will estimate the area with four intervals.

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Figure 1. Left Riemann Sum

Figure 1 illustrates rectangles formed when calculating a left Riemann sum. In each

interval, the leftmost point of the function is used as the height of the rectangle. The leftmost

point in the first interval, which goes from 1 to 3, occurs at f(1), while the leftmost point in the

second interval, from 3 to 5, occurs at f(3). So the area can be calculated by:

Area = (f(1) 2) + (f(3) 2)

Area = (13 2) + (5 2)

Area = 36 units2
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Figure 2. Right Riemann Sum

Figure 2 illustrates rectangles formed when calculating a right Riemann sum. In each

interval, the rightmost point of the function is used as the height of the rectangle. The rightmost

point in the first interval occurs at f(3), while the rightmost point in the second interval occurs at

f(5). So the area can be calculated by:

Area = (f(3) 2) + (f(5) 2)

Area = (5 2) + (29 2)

Area = 68 units2
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Figure 3. Midpoint Riemann Sum

Figure 3 illustrates rectangles formed when calculating a midpoint Riemann sum. In each

interval, the value of the function at the middle of the interval is used as the height of the

rectangle. In the first interval, the midpoint occurs at f(2), while in the second interval, it occurs

at f(4). So the area can be calculated by:

Area = (f(2) 2) + (f(4) 2)

Area = (8 2) + (4 2)

Area = 24 units2
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Figure 4. Upper Riemann sum

Figure 4 illustrates rectangles formed when calculating an upper Riemann sum. In each

interval, the highest point of the function is used as the height of the rectangle. The highest point

or largest value in the first interval occurs at f(1), while the highest point in the second interval

occurs at f(5). So the area can be calculated by:

Area = (f(1) 2) + (f(5) 2)

Area = (13 2) + (29 2)

Area = 84 units2
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Figure 5. Lower Riemann sum

Figure 5 illustrates rectangles formed when calculating a lower Riemann sum. In each

interval, the lowest point of the function is used as the height of the rectangle. The lowest point

of the function in the first interval occurs at f(3), while the lowest point in the second interval

occurs at f(3.68). So the area can be calculated by:

Area = (f(3) 2) + (f(3.68) 2)

Area = (5 2) + (3.12 2)

Area = 16.24 units2

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Figure 6. Trapezoid Rule

Shown above is how trapezoids are inscribed within the four intervals. The bases of the

trapezoids coincide with the functions outputs, while the height is the width of the intervals or
ba 51
can be calculated by n
= 4
= 1 .Thus, the area would be:

1
A = 2
[f (x0 ) + 2f (x1 ) + 2f (x2 ) + ... + f (xn )] x

1
A = 2
[f (1) + 2f (2) + 2f (3) + 2f (4) + f (5)] 1

1
A = 2
[13 + 2(8) + 2(5) + 2(4) + 29] 1

Area = 38 units2
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Figure 7. Simpsons Rule

Portrayed above is the Simpsons Rule with four intervals and four parabola sections. The
ba 51
height can be found by using n
= 4
= 1 . Thus, the area is:

1
A 3
h (y 0 + 4y 1 + 2y 2 + 4y 3 + 2y 4 + ... + 2y n2 + 4y n1 + y n )

1 1
A 3
h (y 0 + 4y 1 + 2y 2 + 4y 3 + 2y 4 + y n ) 3
1 (f (1) + 4f (2) + 2f (3) + 4f (4) + f (5))

1
A 3
1 [13 + 4(8) + 2(5) + 4(4) + 29]

Area = 33.33 units2

These approximations are all either overestimations or underestimations as the shapes do

not completely fit the curve of the function. The true area under the curve is found by using the
5
definite integral of the function, ((x 3)4 + 2(x 3)3 4(x 3) + 5)dx , which equals to be 32.8
1

units2. The left Riemann sum estimated the area under the curve to be 36 units2, the right

Riemann sum, 68 units2; the midpoint Riemann sum, 24 units2; the upper Riemann sum, 84
 Muralidharan 11

units2; the lower Riemann sum, 16.24 units2; the Trapezoid Rule; 38 units2; and Simpsons Rule;

33.33 units2. The method that most accurately estimated the area was Simpsons Rule, with an

error of 0.5333 units2, because of the curvature of the parabolas fit the function more precisely.

In the discussion of area approximations and integral, there is a theorem in calculus that

combines these topics to find the average value of a function...the Mean Value Theorem for

Integrals. The MVT for Integrals states if a function, f(x), is continuous on a closed interval from

a to b, [a,b], then there exists a number c in the interval such that:

b
f (x)dx
a
f (c) = ba

In other words, the MVT for Integrals states that a continuous function has at least one

point where the function equals the average value of the function.

Take the graph from the previous example, f (x) = (x 3)4 + 2(x 3)3 4(x 3) + 5 on

the interval from x = 1 to x = 5, and the MVT for Integrals can help us find the area under the

curve using two intervals. First, the point c, where the function will equal the average value of

the function, has to be found.

b
f (x)dx
f (c) = a
ba

5
((x3)4 +2(x3)3 4(x3) +5) dx
f (c) = 1
51

f (c) = 8.2

8.2 = (x 3)4 + 2(x 3)3 4(x 3) + 5

c = 1.90102
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Figure 8. MVT for Integrals

Illustrated above is how the MVT for Integrals is used to solve the example problem. The

8.2, f(c), represents the height of the two rectangles. The area of these two rectangles can be

found by:

A = (1.90102 1) 8.2 + (5 1.90102) 8.2

A = (5 1) 8.2

Area = 32.8 units2

The area of the two rectangles was tantamount to the area of under need the curve! This

occurred because the Mean Value Theorem for Integrals allowed us to find the exact point where

the sum of the two rectangles were equivalent to the definite integral of the function.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~All figures were created by using Desmos~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~Example Problems~~~

1. A spherical hot air balloons volume expands as its air heats up. The spheres radius is

modeled by a twice-differentiable function r of time t, where t is measured in seconds. For

0<t<12, the graph is concave down. The table below gives selected values of the rate of

change, r(t), of the radius of the balloon over the time interval 0 t 12. The radius of the

balloon is 32 feet when t = 7.

t (seconds) 0 1 4 7 11 12

r(t) (ft/sec) 5.7 4.0 2.0 1.4 0.5 0.4

A) Estimate the radius of the balloon when t = 7.2 using the tangent line approximation at t =

7. Is your estimate greater than or less than the true value? Justify.

r(7) = 32, r(7) = 1.4

Point-Slope Form!! y-y1 = m(x-x1) y - 32 = 1.4(x - 7)

y(7.2) = 1.4(7.2 - 7) + 32; y(7.2) = 32.28 ft

If the graph is concave down, then a tangent line will overestimate r.

B) Find the rate of change of the volume of the balloon with respect to time when t = 7.

Indicate the units of measure.

4
V = 3
r3

dV dr
dt
= 4 r2 dt

dV
dt
= 4 (32)2 1.4 = 5734.4 ft3/sec
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C) Use a right Riemann sum with 5 subintervals indicated by the date in the table to
12 12
approximate r(t) dt . Using correct units, explain the meaning of r(t) dt in terms of
0 0

the radius of the balloon.

t is not constant and so the bases of the rectangles are different which means break

the area into individual rectangles.

A = t1f(1) + t2f(4) + t3f(7) + t4f(11) +t5f(12)

A = 1(4) + 3(2) + 3(1.4) + 4(0.5) + 1(0.4)

12
A = 16.6 ft; r(t) dt represents the change in radius of the balloon from 0
0

seconds to 12 seconds.
12
D) Is your approximation in part c greater than or less than r(t) dt ? Give a reason.
0

Less than, because the function is decreasing in the interval from (0,12), and so the

rectangles created by using the right Riemann sum would be shorter thus underestimating

the actual value.