√ √ √

53. THE SUM 1 + 2 + · · · + n WITHOUT INTEGRATION

√
Suppose we are asked to integrate x from 0 to 1 by first principles. If we divide the
interval into n equal subintervals and erect a rectangle on each subinterval with height
given by the function value at the right-hand endpoint, we find

1 √ √ √
Sum of areas of rectangles = √ ( 1 + 2 + · · · + n).
n n

We now want to estimate the sum

√ √ √
1+ 2 + ··· + n

√
fairly accurately, without integrating x via primitives (since otherwise we could have
done this on the interval [0, 1]!).

I have given this problem some thought and have come up with the following calculation.
I do not claim that this approach is obvious, but it does work!

Start with the easily checked identity

3(a + b)2 = 4(a2 + ab + b2 ) − (a − b)2 .

Now divide by 6(a + b), and we obtain

1 2 (a3 − b3 ) 1 (a2 − b2 )2
(a + b) = − .
2 3 (a2 − b2 ) 6 (a + b)3
√ √
Let a = k, b = k − 1. Note that a2 − b2 = 1.
We find

1 √ √ 2 √ √ 1 1
( k − 1 + k) = (k k − (k − 1) k − 1) − √ √ .
2 3 6 ( k − 1 + k)3

Typeset by AMS-TEX
1
 √ √ √
2 53. THE SUM 1+ 2 + ··· + N WITHOUT INTEGRATION

1√
Put 1, 2, · · · , n for k and add, and then add n, and we find
2
n
√ √ √ 2 √ 1√ 1X 1
1 + 2 + ··· + n = n n + n− √ √ .
3 2 6 ( k − 1 + k)3 k=1

∞
X 1
Since √ √ converges, we can write
k=1
( k − 1 + k)3

∞ ∞
√ √ √ 2 √ 1√ 1X 1 1 X 1
1 + 2 + ··· + n = n n + n− √ √ + √ √
3 2 6 ( k − 1 + k)3 6 ( k − 1 + k)3
k=1 k=n+1

2 √ 1√
= n n+ n − C + ǫn
3 2

where
C ≈ 0.2078862250

and
ǫn → 0 as n → ∞.

This is more than we need to deduce that

2 √ √ √ √ 2 √ 1√
n n < 1 + 2 + ··· + n < n n + n
3 3 2

2
and that the answer to the original problem is .
3
We can do better.

Start with
4ab = (a + b)2 − (a − b)2 .

Now divide by 4ab(a + b)3 to obtain

1 1 (b − a)2
= −
(a + b)3 4ab(a + b) 4ab(a + b)3
b−a (b2 − a2 )2
= −
4ab(b − a ) 4ab(a + b)5
2 2

(b2 − a2 )2
 
1 1 1
= 2 2
− − .
4(b − a ) a b 4ab(a + b)5
 √ √ √
53. THE SUM 1+ 2 + · · · + n WITHOUT INTEGRATION 3
√ √
Set a = k, b = k + 1, and we find
 
1 1 1 1 1
√ √ = √ −√ − √ √ √ √ .
( k + k + 1)3 4 k k+1 4 k k + 1( k + k + 1)5

If we now put k = n, n + 1, n + 2, · · · and add, we find

∞ ∞
1X 1 1 1 1 X 1
ǫn = √ √ = √ − √ √ √ √ .
6 ( k + k + 1)3 24 n 24 k k + 1( k + k + 1)5
k=n k=n

So
∞
√ √ √ 2 √ 1√ 1 1 X 1
1+ 2+ ··· + n = n n+ n−C + √ − √ √ √ √ .
3 2 24 n 24 k k + 1( k + k + 1)5
k=n

I have gone one step further, and shown that

√ √ √ 2 √ 1√ 1 1
1 + 2 + ··· + n = n n + n−C + √ − √
3 2 24 n 1920n2 n
∞ √ √
1 X (50k 3 + 75k 2 + 27k + 1) + (70k 2 + 70k + 7) k k + 1
+ √ 5√ 5 √ √ .
1920 k k + 1 ( k + k + 1)7
k=n

1
For n = 100, the formula up to the term √ gives
1920n2 n
√ √ √
1 + 2 + · · · + 100 ≈ 666.666666666666666666667
+5.000000000000000000000
−0.207886224977354566017
+0.004166666666666666667
−0.000000005208333333333

≈ 671.46294710314764543398

while adding the square roots gives

√ √ √
1 + 2 + · · · + 100 ≈ 671.46294710314775393421.