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Question 1. Express the limit as a definite integral on the given interval:

lim

n
X

exi cos(xi )x

i=1

on the interval [1, 8].

Solution. Recall the formula
lim

n
X

f (xi )x =

f (x)dx

i=1

Comparing the expressions above, we recognize f as given by f (x) = ex cos(x).

Therefore the answer is:
Z 8
n
X
xi
ex cos(x)dx
e cos(xi )x =
lim
n

i=1

Some common mistakes that you should avoid:

the question is not asking you to calculate the integral. It is only asking
you to express the given limit as an integral, so do not try to evaluate
it.
the indices i and are symbolsPwhich appear only on the summation,
i.e., together with the symbol . In the integral there is no i nor .
All xi must be replaced by x and x must be replaced by dx.
you are not asked to find a formula for the Riemann sum of ex cos(x).
Therefore, you do not have to compute xi and x using the known
and xi = a + ix.
formulas x = ba
n

Question 2. (i) Sketch the graph of the function f (x) = R2 x2 in the

closed interval [R, R], where R is some positive real number. (ii) Evaluate
the following integral by interpreting it in terms of area:
Z R
R2 x2 dx
R

Solution. First notice that the function is only defined for x [R, R]
because if x 6 [R, R] (as, for example, happens if x > R) then we have the

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square root of a negative number (which is not a real number). The graph
of the function corresponds to the upper part of a circle of radius R centered
at the origin. To see this remember that such a circle is given by the set of
points in the plane satisfying x2 + y 2 = R2 . So, solving for y we find:

y 2 = R 2 x2 y = R 2 x2
If we choose the + sign we have the upper part of the circle; choosing the
one we have the lower part (see figure below). In particular, the answer

R 2 x2

R 2 x2
Figure 1: Starting with the circle and solving for y, we obtain two different functions according to the sign chosen.
to question (i) is given by the solid line in the figure. Now recall that the
integral means the area under the curve. The curve under the graph is the
region limited by the upper part of the circle and the x-axis, i.e., the upper
half of the disc. Since the area of a disc of radius R is R2 , the answer to
2
part (ii) is R2 .
Again, some common mistakes that you should avoid:
the question is asking you to compute the integral interpreting it in
terms of the area under the graph. So, first you need to have the
(correct) graph and then apply the standard formulas for area. Do not
try to evaluate the integral thinking it will be easier; in fact, only with
the techniques we learn up to now you will not be able to solve this
integral.

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draw the correct graph is essential for this kind of problem. If you are
not sure about it, you may substitute R by some number and then
construct a table with some values in order to have a hint of how the
graph looks like. But once you realize it, the graph and the answer
must be in terms of R, not in terms of some number you plugged into
R.

See if you graph is coherent. For example,the function f (x) = R2 x2

is always positive because what is inside the square root is always nonnegative (since x [R, R]); so taking the square root of R2 x2 gives a
positive number or zero, but never a negative one. So your graph must
lie above the x-axis. You are supposed to know already about even
and odd functions, so before drawing the graph check if your function
is even or odd and remember
how the graphs of such functions behave.
In our case, for example, R2 x2 is even.