Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Summation Notation
Summation notation is a mathematical shorthand used to represent the sum of a sequence of terms. It typically uses the Greek letter sigma (Σ) to denote the sum, with limits indicating the starting and ending values of the index. For example, Σ from i=1 to n signifies the sum of terms indexed by i, starting at 1 and ending at n.
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Index of Summation
The index of summation is a variable that represents the position of each term in the sequence being summed. In the expression Σ from i=1 to n, 'i' is the index that takes on integer values starting from 1 up to n. This index allows for the systematic addition of terms, such as i^2 in the case of summing squares.
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Series of Squares
A series of squares refers to the sum of the squares of consecutive integers. In this context, the expression 1^2 + 2^2 + 3^2 + ... + 15^2 represents the sum of the squares of the first 15 positive integers. This can be expressed in summation notation as Σ from i=1 to 15 of i^2, which simplifies the representation of the sum.
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