Difference between revisions of "Simpson's rule"
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:<math>=\left ( { 1 \over 3 } \right ) \left( {68579\over2860} \right) = {68579\over8580}</math> | :<math>=\left ( { 1 \over 3 } \right ) \left( {68579\over2860} \right) = {68579\over8580}</math> | ||
:<math>\approx 7.99289...</math> | :<math>\approx 7.99289...</math> | ||
| − | <br />This new answer is much closer than the original; it is off by about <math>.05</math>. If the number of subintervals is increased, it can be shown that the estimated value approaches the real value: | + | <br />This new answer is much closer than the original; it is off by about <math>.05</math>. Note how much less "error" area that there is on the picture. The graph represents the first parabola we use for Example 2 Continued, evaluating from 4 to 6. By reducing the area that each individual parabola approximates, our total approximation became more accurate. |
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| + | If the number of subintervals is increased, it can be shown that the estimated value approaches the real value: | ||
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Revision as of 15:08, December 31, 2008
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This article/section deals with mathematical concepts appropriate for late high school or early college. |
In Calculus, Simpson's Rule is a method of approximating integrals by using parabolas or other higher order polynomial expressions. It is named after its discoverer, Thomas Simpson[1].
Contents
Simpson's Rule
Specifically, Simpson's Rule states:
Example 1
| Example 1 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Explanation | Color |
| The integrand (what is being integrated) | blue line |
| The lower bound | green line |
| The upper bound | red line |
| The parabola that we are using to approximate the area | purple line |
| The area under both f(x) and the parabola | aqua area |
| The extra area that the approximation count | yellow area |
| The area that the approximation does not count | dark read area |
Given:
We can use Simpson's Rule to get a quick approximation of the actual value of the definite integral.
Now we can evaluate the integral:
If we solve this using integration, we find that Simpson's Rule gave the exact value for the definite integral. However, this is rarely the case, as shown in the next example.
Example 2
Given:
Directly solving this integral would require an understanding of partial fractions. If we want to quickly attain an approximation of the integral, we can use Simpson's Rule.
Now we can solve:
As the function given does not resemble a parabola, the answer we get is completely off of the real answer, which is:
This is why we will sometimes split the interval of integration into multiple pieces. When we increase the number of subintervals, the approximation approaches the actual value (see example below). When we do this, we use the Composite Simpson's Rule.
Composite Simpson's Rule
Simpson's Rule can be applied to segments of an integral, effectively making it a Riemann Integral.
If the interval 
is split into 
segments, with as an even number, there is a formula that can be used to solve for the integral.
Note that:
As an extension of Simpson's Rule, we can find that:
The above formula can be rewritten as:
- The formulas above do not work unless is even.
Example 2 Continued
| Example 2 Continued |
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As our estimation was quite off, we should use the Composite Rule to get a better approximation.
For this example, we will use 8 subintervals.
This new answer is much closer than the original; it is off by about 
. Note how much less "error" area that there is on the picture. The graph represents the first parabola we use for Example 2 Continued, evaluating from 4 to 6. By reducing the area that each individual parabola approximates, our total approximation became more accurate.
If the number of subintervals is increased, it can be shown that the estimated value approaches the real value:
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After we reach 106 subintervals, the approximation is correct for five digits.
Other Versions of Simpson's Rule
There are a few other rules that Simpson proved. For example, Simpson's 3/8 Rule[2] shows that cubic functions can be used to approximate integrals.
