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Algebra II math worksheets

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Sigma notation

Learning goals

  • Interprets index, bounds, and summand in sigma notation.
  • Expands a finite sigma expression into terms.
  • Writes repeated sums compactly in sigma notation.
  • Uses linearity and index shifts when appropriate.

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Sigma notation 1
Consider \(\sum_{k=2}^{6}(3k+1)\). Identify the index variable, lower bound, upper bound, summand, and number of terms.

Hints

- Read the symbol directly below and above \(\sum\). - Separate the changing index from the expression being added. - Count the integer index values inclusively from the lower bound to the upper bound.

Solution

The index variable is \(k\). The lower bound is \(2\), the upper bound is \(6\), and the summand is \(3k+1\). The index values are \(2,3,4,5,6\), so there are \(5\) terms.

Answer

Index: \(k\); lower bound: \(2\); upper bound: \(6\); summand: \(3k+1\); number of terms: \(5\)
Sigma notation 2
Expand \(\sum_{j=1}^{4}(2j-1)\) as an ordinary sum. Do not evaluate it.

Hints

- Start with the lower-bound value of the index and increase it by \(1\) each time. - Substitute each allowed index into the summand in order.

Solution

Substitute \(j=1,2,3,4\) into \(2j-1\). The expanded sum is \(1+3+5+7\).

Answer

\(1+3+5+7\)
Sigma notation 3
Evaluate \(\sum_{i=0}^{4}2^i\).

Hints

- Expand the sigma notation from the lower bound through the upper bound. - Evaluate each power only after listing all included terms.

Solution

The sum is \(2^0+2^1+2^2+2^3+2^4=1+2+4+8+16=31\).

Answer

\(31\)
Sigma notation 4
Miles expands \(\sum_{j=3}^{5}(j+2)\) as \(5+6\). Which term did he leave out? Write the correct expanded sum without calculating its total.

Hints

- Count all integer index values, including the upper bound. - Compare the number of allowed index values with the number of terms Miles wrote. - Check whether the expression is complete without adding its terms together.

Solution

1. The index includes \(j=3\), \(j=4\), and \(j=5\), not just the first two values. 2. The omitted term is \(5+2=7\). The complete expansion is \(5+6+7\).

Answer

Missing term: \(7\). Correct expansion: \(5+6+7\).
Sigma notation 5
Write the sum \(4+7+10+\cdots+31\) in sigma notation using an index that begins at \(1\).

Hints

- Identify a formula for the \(k\)th term of the arithmetic pattern. - Determine how many terms are included before choosing the upper bound. - Check your sigma form by substituting the first and last index values.

Solution

The terms form an arithmetic sequence with first term \(4\) and common difference \(3\). Since \(31=4+3(10-1)\), there are \(10\) terms. A suitable form is \(\sum_{k=1}^{10}[4+3(k-1)]\).

Answer

\(\sum_{k=1}^{10}[4+3(k-1)]\)
Sigma notation 6
How many terms are in \(\sum_{m=-3}^{7}(m^2+1)\)? Explain how you know without expanding the sum.

Hints

- The summand does not affect how many index values are used. - Count the integers from the lower bound through the upper bound inclusively.

Solution

1. The integer index values run from \(-3\) through \(7\), inclusive. 2. The number of terms is \(7-(-3)+1=11\).

Answer

\(11\) terms, because the inclusive index count is \(7-(-3)+1=11\).
Sigma notation 7
Evaluate \(\sum_{k=1}^{6}5k\) by using the constant factor \(5\) outside the sum.

Hints

- Identify the factor that does not depend on the index. - Move that constant outside the sigma symbol before evaluating the simpler sum.

Solution

1. Factor out the constant: \(\sum_{k=1}^{6}5k=5\sum_{k=1}^{6}k\). 2. Since \(1+2+3+4+5+6=21\), the value is \(5\cdot21=105\).

Answer

\(\sum_{k=1}^{6}5k=5\sum_{k=1}^{6}k=5\cdot21=105\).
Sigma notation 8
Rewrite \(\sum_{k=1}^{4}(k^2+2k)\) as the sum of two sigma expressions, then evaluate it.

Hints

- Separate the two terms of the summand before evaluating. - Keep the same index bounds on each resulting sigma expression. - Apply any constant factor only to the part where it belongs.

Solution

Split the summand: \(\sum_{k=1}^{4}(k^2+2k)=\sum_{k=1}^{4}k^2+2\sum_{k=1}^{4}k\). The first sum is \(1+4+9+16=30\), and the second is \(2(1+2+3+4)=20\). Therefore, the total is \(50\).

Answer

\(\sum_{k=1}^{4}k^2+2\sum_{k=1}^{4}k=50\)
Sigma notation 9
Write \(3+6+12+24+48\) in sigma notation using an index that begins at \(1\).

Hints

- Identify the first term and the multiplicative factor between consecutive terms. - Use an exponent that is \(0\) when the index is at its first value. - Make the upper bound match the number of displayed terms.

Solution

The terms form a geometric sequence with first term \(3\) and common ratio \(2\). With five terms, the sum is \(\sum_{k=1}^{5}3\cdot2^{k-1}\).

Answer

\(\sum_{k=1}^{5}3\cdot2^{k-1}\)
Sigma notation 10
Expand and evaluate \(\sum_{k=3}^{7}(4k-1)\).

Hints

- List every integer index from the lower bound through the upper bound. - Substitute each index into the summand before adding. - Check that the number of expanded terms matches the number of allowed index values.

Solution

1. Substitute \(k=3,4,5,6,7\) to obtain the expanded sum \(11+15+19+23+27\). 2. Adding the terms gives \(95\).

Answer

\(11+15+19+23+27=95\).
Sigma notation 11
Irene wants to write \(5+8+11+\cdots+32\) in sigma notation and proposes \(\sum_{k=1}^{9}(5+3k)\). Explain why the proposal is incorrect and write a correct sigma expression.

Hints

- Test the proposed summand at its first index value. - Determine how many arithmetic-sequence terms run from the first displayed value through the last. - A correct sigma expression must reproduce both endpoints and the correct term count.

Solution

1. The proposed summand gives \(8\) when \(k=1\), so it starts at the second term instead of \(5\). 2. It also uses only \(9\) index values, while the arithmetic sequence from \(5\) to \(32\) has \(10\) terms. 3. One correct form is \(\sum_{k=1}^{10}[5+3(k-1)]\).

Answer

The proposal starts one term late and includes only \(9\) terms. One correct expression is \(\sum_{k=1}^{10}[5+3(k-1)]\).
Sigma notation 12
The sum \(\sum_{k=p}^{14}(2k+1)\) contains exactly \(9\) terms. Find the lower bound \(p\).

Hints

- Express the number of integer index values from the lower bound through \(14\). - Remember that inclusive counting adds one after subtracting the bounds. - Solve the resulting equation for the unknown lower bound.

Solution

An inclusive sum from \(p\) through \(14\) has \(14-p+1\) terms. Set \(14-p+1=9\). Then \(15-p=9\), so \(p=6\).

Answer

\(p=6\)
Sigma notation 13
The seats in a small theater follow a linear pattern. Row \(2\) has \(7\) seats, row \(3\) has \(9\), and row \(4\) has \(11\). Write the total number of seats in rows \(2\) through \(4\) as one sigma expression. Use \(k\) for the row number and only \(k\) and numbers in the summand. Do not calculate the total.

Hints

- What happens to the seat count when the row number increases by one? - Check whether a rule in \(k\) gives the correct count for every listed row. - Expand your proposed sum to see whether its first and last terms are right.

Solution

1. If \(k\) is the row number, the seat count increases by \(2\) for every increase of \(1\) in \(k\). The rule has the form \(2k+b\). 2. Row \(2\) has \(7\) seats, so \(2\cdot2+b=7\) and \(b=3\). 3. The sum runs from row \(2\) through row \(4\), giving \(\sum_{k=2}^{4}(2k+3)\). Its terms are \(7+9+11\).

Answer

\(\sum_{k=2}^{4}(2k+3)\)
Sigma notation 14
A pianist's daily scale warm-ups form an arithmetic sequence. Write the total warm-up time as one sigma expression using the day number \(k\), then find the total in minutes.
Figure for problem 560504

Hints

- Read the bar heights from the vertical axis. - Look for a rule that connects each day number to its height. - Keep the lower and upper bounds tied to the day numbers, not the heights.

Solution

1. The bars represent \(3,6,9,12\) minutes, following the rule \(3k\) for \(k=1,2,3,4\). 2. The total is \(\sum_{k=1}^{4}3k=3+6+9+12=30\) minutes.

Answer

\(\sum_{k=1}^{4}3k=30\,\text{min}\)
Sigma notation 15
Rewrite \(\sum_{k=3}^{6}(2k-4)\) with an index \(j\) starting at \(0\). Use \(j=k-3\), and check that both forms give the same four terms.

Hints

- Replace every occurrence of the old index, including the bounds. - Express \(k\) in terms of \(j\) before simplifying the summand. - Expand the first and last terms of each sum to check the index shift.

Solution

1. From \(j=k-3\), we have \(k=j+3\). The original bounds \(k=3\) and \(k=6\) become \(j=0\) and \(j=3\). 2. The new summand is \(2(j+3)-4=2j+2\), giving \(\sum_{j=0}^{3}(2j+2)\). 3. Both sums expand to \(2+4+6+8\), verifying that the four terms match.

Answer

\(\sum_{j=0}^{3}(2j+2)\); both forms expand to \(2+4+6+8\).
Sigma notation 16
Show that the two sums are equal by re-indexing one of them: \(\sum_{k=1}^{6}(3k-2)\) and \(\sum_{j=0}^{5}(3j+1)\).

Hints

- Compare the starting values of the two indices. - Choose an index shift that makes the lower bounds correspond. - Transform both the bounds and the summand; changing only one is not enough.

Solution

Let \(j=k-1\), so \(k=j+1\). When \(k=1\), \(j=0\); when \(k=6\), \(j=5\). Also, \(3k-2=3(j+1)-2=3j+1\). Therefore, \(\sum_{k=1}^{6}(3k-2)=\sum_{j=0}^{5}(3j+1)\).

Answer

They are equal under the re-indexing \(j=k-1\).
Sigma notation 17
For a positive integer \(n\), consider the three sigma expressions \(A=\sum_{k=2}^{n+1}(4k-5)\), \(B=\sum_{j=0}^{n-1}(4j+3)\), \(C=\sum_{m=1}^{n}(4m+3)\). Determine which two are equivalent for every positive integer \(n\). Justify your answer by re-indexing, and explain why the third expression is different.

Hints

- Try shifting the index of \(A\) so its lower bound becomes \(0\). - When re-indexing, transform the summand and both bounds together. - Compare the first generated term of each expression before deciding whether the sums can match.

Solution

1. Re-index \(A\) by setting \(j=k-2\). Then \(k=j+2\), so \(4k-5=4(j+2)-5=4j+3\). 2. The lower bound \(k=2\) becomes \(j=0\), and the upper bound \(k=n+1\) becomes \(j=n-1\). Therefore, \(A=B\). 3. Expression \(C\) uses the same form \(4m+3\) but starts at \(m=1\), so its first term is \(7\) instead of \(3\). Thus, \(C\) is not equivalent to \(A\) and \(B\).

Answer

Set \(j=k-2\). Then \(4k-5=4j+3\), and the bounds \(k=2\) to \(k=n+1\) become \(j=0\) to \(j=n-1\), so \(A=B\). Expression \(C\) starts one index later and begins with \(7\) instead of \(3\), so it is different.

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